We do what we see, what we hear and what we know and many people in the middle of the night or weekend will go the hospital ER if they are nervous about what’s happening to them, or their spouse or child. It’s what we know – and changing this behavior has been an age-old challenge for policy makers for decades. A new insurance company policy has some ER doctors doubting its value, confused about whether it will truly deter unnecessary visits and, as one told me, it may ‘have the reverse effect and leave people at home’ who ought to go to the ER. Dr. Robert Meyer of Montefiore Weiler Hospital in New York City is interviewed in our research on this issue, sharing his perspective on the percent of emergency room visits he deems medically unnecessary at his hospital.
See the full story here