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Whats called the abusing of Hatzolah?
I guess when s/o either abuses Hatzolah or they abuse you.
Is this a trick question?
If I understand your question, abusing Hatzolah would be calling them for what you know to be a non-emergency. Calling them for what you thought might be an emergency, but turned out not to be, is not abusing it.
I would say calling them when you could really go to your own doctor, as in not an emergency!
If you use them as a taxi service. {obviously non-emergency)
DY – Well said.
I think what the thread writer is asking is if you call Hatzala for what probably are non-emergencies on a consistent basis (when in doubt obviously err on side of caution).
Or if you have an individual with a serious medical need but would be classified as somewhat of a non-emergency. And this individual for whatever reason needs ambulance transport
For example, a patient that is in no immediate danger, but is prescribed to start I.V. medication for cellulitis. Assuming that the city EMS will take you to your hospital of choice, it does not matter if Hatzala or the city takes you.
I have a neighbor who used to call them for any stupid thing until one of the guys told my mother that they dont even rush to the scene anymore. SAD
It’s the same with 911.
Abuse is when someone calls Hatzolah to be their local car service; since they don’t have insurance!!
3 as – What does inusrance have to do with it?
ambulances would charge you…hatzalah doesnt
bomb – Well after all it boils down to, is it an emergency or not. If it is an emergency hatzolah should be taken. And if it is not an emergency than even the local ems shouldn’t be taken, a taxi is fine.
The whole NY calling hatzala for every scratch attitude is pretty absurd.
Where I come from, if you break an arm, you drive to the hospital with your other arm. If you need stitches, you drive to the hospital. You call an ambulance when you need care faster than you can get to a hospital yourself.
When you call Hatzala, you are often taking a father away from his children, a husband away from his wife, a kollel guy away from learning, a person away from his job. Yes, they are happy to come- but don’t do it unless it really is an emergency.
its true some people just takes hatzolah for granted but they dont realize the have a life and a family too
3 as – What does inusrance have to do with it?
If someone doesn’t have insurance to cover a doctors visit, it’s a lot easier to get a free visit from Hatzalah. (They don’t even need to go anywhere.)
kapusta – I was asking the connection between, car service – and no insurance.
I believe some Hatzolahs do bill insurance, when available. In NY they don’t. Billing insurance would certainly cut back on the taxi calls.
Well said popa. Many don’t realize that Hatzolah members have real lives, and a lot of situations can be handled without calling them. And sometimes people call them and then don’t listen to them when Hatzolah advises them that they should go to the hospital. Also, sometimes people refuse to go to certain hospitals, instead insisting on being brought to a very distant hospital. This is called abusing Hatzolah. If you are calling them, listen to their advice. They are doing a tremendous chesed by dropping everything to help us–the least we could do is make their lives easier.
Yes too many ppl abuse it and it isn’t fair. Calling them to find out stupid medical questions that you can look up or find out from a friend isn’t right. Sometimes when you hurt yourself like a fracture it can be dangerous to move it so I wouldn’t say that’s abusing it. Any hatzalah members here?
pba: I wouldn’t suggest driving with a broken arm
I think Hatzolah should charge the insurance.
Especially upstate. The cost is so huge that the appeals for Shabbos Hatzolah cannot even begin to cover it.
I agree Hatzoloah SHOULD charge insurance. That way less money would need to be raised for it and the money could go to other causes
I once asked why they don’t and didn’t get a good answer, at least for NY. In NJ I think it’s a bit trickier because they would have to be part of the 911 system and that would raise lots of problems.
I dated a guy who was on Hatzalah and he said that the even though they were sometimes used as a taxi service or a concierge medical service- there were times when people called for what seemed like the stupidest calls, but in the end were life saving.
The problem with charging the insurance, is that they would have to also charge you the deductible, which is usually a couple hundred buck.
And they have to really charge, they can’t just send a bill and ignore it.
the costs to run hatzalah upstate are so out of this world it is scary.
insurance, gas, equipemnt…it all adds up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
that much is not raised thru the appeals. insurance has become necessary at this point.
Hatzolah does charge insurance.
The problem with charging the insurance, is that they would have to also charge you the deductible, which is usually a couple hundred buck. And they have to really charge, they can’t just send a bill and ignore it.
I don’t think the deductible is that much of an issue because a hospital stay pretty much depletes any deductibles.
I meant the co-pay.
Poppa,
To add to what you said, Hatzolah would also be legally required to bill those without ambulance insurance coverage….
if someone has a 15 or 25 dollar co pay and they would be billed that for having hatzolah transport their family member to the amulance at least hatzolah would be able to collect quite a few hundred dollars from the insurance companies as well. this would relieve a lot of the financial stress that the organization has.
it would be well worth it in the long run.
and the co pay cost would probably be similar to the cost of a car service to the hospital in the city.
Ambulance copays are generally more expensive than car services.
yeshivishHak Poppa- why do they have to chare everyone? And even if they do, they dont have to deposit the checks or send a second letter or the like. I know of an ambulance company that if the patient doesnt respond the first or second invoice they drop it.
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