Too Big To Fail - Too Small To Save
By Thomas D. Segel
May 29, 2009
Page 3 of 3
One of the most telling areas of an economy in trouble is health care. When finances tighten, people start cutting back on everything from visiting the doctor to buying their prescription medications. In the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, those in need of medical assistance overwhelm hospital emergency rooms, even though they have no money to pay for services. Local hospitals have charged off millions of dollars in unpaid services in recent months.
The one place where working poor and indigent people can receive care in the region is the state operated Rio Grande State Center. This tax funded facility combines the services of a mental health hospital, a long-term care unit for adults with mental retardation and an extensive out patient clinic that provides medical services for those in need. Charges are based on the individual's ability to pay, thus large numbers of patients are given pro bono treatment.
This year the patients being treated in the mental health hospital are at 93% of bed capacity, up from 91% capacity in 2008. The average length of stay has increased this year to 16 days, compared with 14 days of hospitalization just one year ago. This figure does not give a true picture; however, for there are now many patients who are now requiring stays of 100 days and longer.
One area where community needs can be seen in a true light is in requests for medical treatment. During the period January through April of 2008 there were 628 people registering for health care in the out patient clinic. During the same months of 2009 the registered patients numbered 961 people. There were a total of 57,678 visits to the clinic in 2008. This year's numbers are on track to far exceed the patients treated only last year.
These examples only provide a tiny window when looking at a huge nationwide concern. But, one can only ask, if those who are too small to save are being ignored by the federal government in a state that has lived within its means, what is happening in those economic basket cases such as Michigan and California?
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Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA. >> Back -- Page 1 2 3
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