Recently a friend was rushed to Valley View Medical Center here in Cedar City UT by his wife after he became quite ill and was coughing up blood. They diagnosed him with pneumonia. His fever was very high. The hospital immediately filled him with liquids, antibiotics, and provided superb medical care. Three days later he went home. They unquestionably saved his life.
Valley View is part of Intermountain Health, who was specifically noted by Obama in 2009 for providing low cost, high quality medical care.
“We have to ask why places like the Geisinger Health system in rural Pennsylvania, Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City, or communities like Green Bay can offer high-quality care at costs well below average, but other places in America can’t. We need to identify the best practices across the country, learn from the success, and replicate that success elsewhere,” [Obama] said.
Plus, Intermountain works with patients on the bill. After consulting with our friends, who had financial reversals in the past and are now working nonstop to build a new life, Intermountain dropped their bill, which was already modest by most standards, by about one-third and gave them considerable time to pay.
This is how health care should work. Kudos to Intermountain Health.
“Low cost health care” I grew up with the concept of health care at the point of need and growing up in a poor miners family that was a very important asset in our lives. We saw a doctor when needed and went to hospital if required and no thought as to whether it was low cost or otherwise, it was the nearest doctor and the right hospital for the treatment required. Now how can you criticise that model of health care. However our new lords and masters are moving our National Heath Service towards a free market model where money will be your consideration when ill. Lots of money equals excellent health care, no money, then move down the queue and join the waiting list. Why should the public put up with any other health service than what is required at point of need without financial wories to add to your problems. It is either a civilised society where we care for all our sick and elderly or we are just a market, where people are units of profit, no profit, then you are of no use to society. What is the price of a childs life, when do we draw the line and say, sorry to expensive, that’s the corporate philosophy.
I agree. However here in the States, what Intermountain did is highly unusual. Their bill would have been much higher (with no price drop) and many other hospitals and there was no wait in the emergency room. Can’t imagine there would have been no wait in any big US city.