ABUSE OF THE 911 SYSTEM

The 911 emergency system has saved thousands of lives since it was implemented. However, thousands more could have been saved if it wasn't for the abuse made by those who call without a true emergency.
A true emergency is one where life or limb is at stake.

Chronic abuse of the 911 system for non emergency issues is wasting billions of dollars every year. Not only that, but it overwhelms an already taxed health care system with over crowded emergency rooms. And who is left with paying the bills for all of the non emergency 911 calls that insurance doesn't pay for? The tax payers.

People suffering from headaches, toothaches, stomach aches, spider bites from 2 weeks ago, even the feeling of being alone, are calling 911 these days. Sometimes they even call more then once a day.

This abuse of our emergency health care system is overwhelming hospitals and paramedics throughout the country. It also adds up to wasting billions of dollars a year, that is ultimately paid through higher taxes and increased insurance fees. Insurance and Medicare/Medicaid do not cover non emergent calls, so when the abusers are billed they just never pay. To them that doesn't matter because they know even though they haven't paid their previous medical bill, if they call 911 their call will be responded to and they will be treated to some degree.

The 911 emergency system has become the primary health care for many individuals. It can easily be said that 50% of all medical calls that come through the 911 system are not true emergencies. In our city alone (Corpus Christi, Texas) a fire apparatus or ambulance, minimum of one paramedic on board, responded to just over 74,000 calls last year alone. 80% of those calls were medical calls coming through the 911 system. 50% of those calls were probably not true life or limb emergencies. So you can see how abusing the 911 system can really tie up resources. In the city of Corpus Christi we have a population over 300,000 the city only has 9 ambulances to cover it. So you see how tying up three ambulances with non emergent calls can be fatal to someone else.

For each 911 call, it cost anywhere between 400 and 500 dollars to just transport a person via ambulance to a hospital emergency room. That does not take into consideration the fuel cost of rolling a 3 1/2 ton fire engine to the call as well. If it is not a true emergency the transport of that person becomes nothing more then a 400 to 500 dollar taxi ride.

These are only base fees for transport. If a person is actually given any treatments or medications in the ambulance the cost can quickly grow to over $2000 dollars. Now understand that in some cases those bills will not get paid, so the taxpayer will eventually bear that burden somewhere down the line.

For some the 911 system is a necessity. They have no insurance or Medicare/Medicaid. So 911 becomes their only form of health care. On the other hand there are people that have insurance, Medicare or Medicaid or other abilities to pay but choose to exploit the system. They know that paramedics/ems are obligated to respond and treat no matter what the call is. These people would rather abuse the system then wait to visit their own doctor.

It was reported by the NFPA, which tracks 911 call volumes annually, fire depts. responded to 15.7 million medical calls in 2008. Just over half of these calls actually needed a paramedic on scene.

One major problem is ems/paramedics have a ethical duty to respond to all calls without judgement, and the citizens know this. No matter the call, a rash, a stubbed toe, a lonely person, they must respond.

Most people just want to be treated or checked out from home. They know that most likely they will not be charged as long as they do not go to the hospital. So the frequent callers refuse treatment after they have been "checked out".

Some people manipulate the system, or try to, in other ways. People believe that by calling 911 and requesting an ambulance to go to the emergency room they will be seen faster once they get there. This is a big misconception. In reality all persons brought into the emergency room that are deemed non emergency will sit and wait while actual people with true emergencies are tended to. Sometimes this may take hours. Some people get so frustrated with the waiting, they walk out to the parking lot of the emergency department and call 911 to take them to a different hospital.  They believe that they will jump ahead in line by calling 911. They are wrong.

Public education is the key to help stopping the abuse of the 911 system. Some cities have started programs by running television ads informing the public you should not use the 911 system unless it as true emergency. Life or limb at stake. They should seek their doctor or a minor emergent clinic for all other issues. Some other cities have gone as far as to train their dispatchers with medical knowledge to determine what type of response is actually needed to that call.

Another solution, which I have never seen implemented its just a thought, is to give the paramedics/ems the authority to inform the person that this situation does not meet the requirements for a 911 emergency transport. Paramedics/ems would then offer the options to the person of the non emergent call.

With our health care system in desperate need of some help right now and our economy in real bad shape, stopping this abuse will help with both of those issues. It will also help keep taxes and insurance premiums from rising so drastically.

Just my opinion, what is yours? Tell us.

Agree or disagree at least we learn what the PEOPLE think.