[Spooky23]

That’s not how the process works for an ER. A doc in a box urgent care would essentially do that.

An ER handles everything from bee stings to shootings or strokes. They’re optimized to deal with those emergencies, not optimize cost for minor dings, especially when most of the minor issues are uninsured people who won’t pay anyway.

Emergency medicine is not a profit center, and is often mandated to exist. You’re paying for all of the lost receivables and capability.

[romwell]

>A doc in a box urgent care would essentially do that.

Yeah, and urgent care facilities usually have working hours like 8AM-8PM. Because, you know, those are the only hours people every get minor sicknesses.

[adrianN]

If it's a minor sickness it can usually wait 12 hours?

[cameldrv]

Emergency medicine most definitely can be a profit center. That's why you see all of these new freestanding emergency rooms that look like an urgent care center but are open 24 hours and bill 2x as much.