Yep, I remember when someone here posted about finding a pinworm and got like 10 responses saying: "ER. NOW." Really, pinworm is about as serious as head lice, right? Yeesh. Your last post gives excellent reasons to not head for the ER for every last thing.
The one time I visited the ER there was a sign on the wall saying that they cannot refuse to treat you even if you can't pay. But that doesn't mean they won't come after you for the money later, which the sign didn't say. I guess this is where people get the misconception that ER visits are free if you're poor. It's a fine line to walk, because if they added a "but you have to pay later" stipulation to the sign, people might be scared away from getting care that they actually need.
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The one time I visited the ER there was a sign on the wall saying that they cannot refuse to treat you even if you can't pay. But that doesn't mean they won't come after you for the money later, which the sign didn't say. I guess this is where people get the misconception that ER visits are free if you're poor. It's a fine line to walk, because if they added a "but you have to pay later" stipulation to the sign, people might be scared away from getting care that they actually need.