They certainly do. Whether one agrees with any of the various health care reform ideas floating around or not, to suggest that the emergency room is any sort of effective alternative is outrageous. Hell, if that made sense, insurance providers (like my plan) wouldn't discourage visits to the emergency room.
But for the uninsured, the emergency room is where they go (and many don't/can't pay). So yep, we all end up paying through the nose because of that inefficiency in the system.
Yeah really that is the worst most expensive way to have people cared for.
I think I remember a former member here from The UK (Dave Rhino maybe) say how he had to go the doctor for a scheduled appointment or he would be financially penalized if he missed it and later needed treatment for something they would have caught earlier in that scheduled appointment.Somebody from the UK help me out here is that how it works?