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| Tuesday, October 27, 2009 |
| Ambulance companies charging more for obese passengers |
First the airline industry started charging overweight passengers more to fly the friendly skies; asking them to purchase an extra seat if they can’t fit into a seat with an extended seatbelt, can’t put the armrests down or infringe upon their neighbors seat space. Now ambulance companies are following in their footsteps, charging extra to transport obese patients.
Being a clinical dietitian who has worked in nursing homes and hospitals I’ve seen both sides of the dilemma. I’ve watched EMT workers, nurses and nursing assistants struggle to move obese patients and I’ve also witnessed the shame and embarrassment this can cause for the person being moved. I don’t necessarily think there is a right or wrong answer in this situation. I’m sure if you spoke to an EMT worker or nurse who has a bad back from moving obese patients you would hear one response and if you talked to the patients themselves you would hear another.
What the ambulance companies want people to understand is that “transporting extremely heavy people costs about 2 1/2 times as much as normal-weight patients.” It also takes longer, requires more crew members and they usually have to use expensive specialty equipment. A cleaning lady doesn’t charge the same amount to clean a studio apartment as she does a 4-bedroom house. Why? Because cleaning the 4-bedroom house is more work.
Until now the ambulance companies have simply absorbed this extra cost. But according to Jim Buell, a director at the American Ambulance Association, in order for ambulance companies to survive they have to find a way to recover some of these costs. Fortunately they are looking to insurance companies, not the patients themselves, to pay the extra expenses.
I do believe that all people (regardless of weight) should receive this service at a fair cost relative to the labor provided. However, I think this situation speaks to an even larger issue and is yet another example of the changing landscape of American health and healthcare. Some people may argue the cost issue or the discrimination issue, but the fact that moving very large patients has become so common that ambulance companies need to start charging more for it is what really scares me. Are the ambulance companies just being greedy or is this simply another cause and effect of the ever-growing obesity epidemic in our country?
What do you think?
- Lauren
Labels: Lauren, Obesity
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posted by My Sensei @ Tuesday, October 27, 2009   |
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| 1 Comments: |
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I don't think this is a bad idea, but a slippery slope for sure! I do also think that cigarette smoker's should have to pay higher insurance premiums too.
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I don't think this is a bad idea, but a slippery slope for sure! I do also think that cigarette smoker's should have to pay higher insurance premiums too.