CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Thomas Hospital System is trying to improve the cost and efficiency of emergency room visits by more clearly presenting lower-cost alternatives to patients determined not to be facing life-threatening illnesses.
Starting in the next few weeks, Thomas plans to start informing emergency room visitors deemed to not be facing a life-threatening illness that their visits will be subject to co-pays up front.
Emergency room personnel in the Thomas system will advise those patients that they could receive less expensive and potentially timelier care at an associated clinic or with an available family doctor.
Similar measures are also taking place elsewhere in attempts to keep costs and wait times lower in emergency rooms.
“We are going to start doing screenings of patients when they present to the emergency room,” said Dan Lauffer, president and CEO of Thomas Health System which owns Thomas Memorial Hospital and Saint Francis Hospital.
“We’re going to inform them about their condition — whether it’s an emergent condition or something that could be seen in a care center or doctor’s office.”
Lauffer added, “We’re doing it as a means of communicating to our patients the culture of delivery. We feel that many patients who represent to the emergency room are using it as their primary source of healthcare. It would also improve their knowledge of their financial health as it relates to delivery of healthcare.”
The Thomas system calculates that 30 percent of its emergency room visitors are deemed by doctors or nurses to not be in an emergency medical situation. That situation is costly to both patients and the hospital — and also results in longer waits.
The biggest change for Thomas Health System will be charging co-payments to patients who choose to remain under emergency room care even after being told their conditions are not life-threatening. The collection of co-payment prior to services would begin in August.
Co-payments begin at $8 for Medicaid payments but can be higher depending on the patient’s insurance and the care being delivered.
Patients who have true health emergencies would be treated regardless of their ability to pay, hospital system representative said.
Patients would have another choice to make too. They could opt for care at a clinic associated with Thomas (or elsewhere) and be treated in order of arrival or remain under emergency room care but be treated in order of severity. A reference to a family doctor is also an option.
“If you say ‘I want to be seen by the emergency room’ we won’t refuse you, but we’ll ask you to pay the co pay and to be seen in the order of severity,” Lauffer said.
If the patient’s visit is after the hours of clinics or associated family doctors, Lauffer said the hospital system would work with the patient for the earliest possible appointment time.
“If there’s any question about whether or not this may be life-threatening we most certainly will continue to see them in the emergency room,” Lauffer said. “We want to communicate with these patients about how these decisions impact their health and their financial well-being.”
Thomas Health has invested more than $1 million into four Care Clinic locations in Kanawha and Putnam counties.
Thomas has tried all along to inform emergency room patients about alternative care and the potential for lower costs, Lauffer said, but this is a concerted effort.
“In the past we have not been diligent about this,” he said, “but we feel it ‘s necessary to educate our community about the decisions about where they see care has an impact not only on their pocketbook but also their health.”