Ambulances start charging extra for obese patients

The memory still bothers Ken Keller: A panicked ambulance crew had a critically ill patient, but the man weighed more than 1,000 pounds and could not fit inside the vehicle.

[OES]

The worst thing is when the ambulance companies have to buy new rear bumpers and tailpipes every few months. At night time the headlights are aiming up in the air and the driver can barely steer the ambulance, since the front tires don't always touch the ground.

[MLK]

OES wrote:

The worst thing is when the ambulance companies have to buy new rear bumpers and tailpipes every few months. At night time the headlights are aiming up in the air and the driver can barely steer the ambulance, since the front tires don't always touch the ground.

YOU ARE A JERK!!! Not funny at all.

[John Lorenz]

Fine and good. We also need to start charging everyone else for their added costs. The 'no new tax' people need to be charged for the damage they've done to California. The Republican party needs to be charged for the damage they've done to our country with the economic collapse. People who have kids and increase their carbon footprint should have to pay more taxes for the extra social services they take. If we're going to pin it on obese people, and I realize someone has to pay...how about hiring personal trainers for each obese person to come to their house every day and make them exercise and monitor their caloric intake? That would be less expensive than the extreme hospitalization that the obese eventually all go through. Tell them they either follow the guidelines of the personal trainer or get their disability payments cut off. I bet that would get results. But we also need to charge others in society for what they cost too. I mean fair is fair. The epidemic of babies right among the young should also result in forced labor at concentration camps to pay for the extra social costs. And tax the parents and youths themselves for the higher crime rate of idle youth who have no schools to go to or jobs to but have time for drive by shootings and vandalism and murder and drinking and drugs...And why not institute a pay as you go policy to replace the budget cuts due to no new taxes policies of state lawmakers? GOP budget extortioners had almost every average person cut off so they wouldn't have to tax oil companies and mega fat cats any more....so we should make all who supported 'no new taxes' on those who make windfall billions pay 'pay out of pocket for services that were cut. The voting public in California needs to compensate the victims of their mindless 'no new taxes' ideology. Everything has to be paid for by someone. How about everyone stepping up and paying for their own sins too, don't just point out someone else.

[pypr]

John Lorenz wrote:

how about hiring personal trainers for each obese person to come to their house every day and make them exercise and monitor their caloric intake?

It does not take a personal trainer or any exercise to not be obese. Cutting out all the junk food and eating a healthy diet alone will do it. We could rig ETB cards so the recipient can only buy healthy food. As taxpayers if we are going to provide people with the food that sustains them don't we have a duty to see that we are not paying for the junk food that is distroying their health?

[juanita]

First Responder already charges over $1000 a mile. That's right, a two mile ambulance ride cost my family over $2500, and that's what the bill said,$1000 a mile. They didn't do anything for our patient but give him a ride. And they give no cash discount for uninsured people.

Does anybody know what an ambulance driver actually gets paid? I'm guessing it ain't no $1000 an hour.

[Joe Sixpack]

A taxi is cheaper.

[erroronpage]

there is gold in Oroville!

[Local]

Joe Sixpack wrote:

A taxi is cheaper.

and safer! ha ha

[Megan]

Juanita, if the ambulance crew did nothing but give your paitent a ride, why did you call them in the first place? When I was emergently sick and collapsed at work, I had a co-worker rush me to Enloe IMMEDIATELY because I knew she could get me there quicker than waiting for the ambulance and then them transporting me. Sounds like you made a bad decision, and then had to pay for it. But it now gives you something else and someone else to whine about.

[Viva]

Wow, can't even imagine over 1,000 lbs.

[Good Lord]

Megan wrote:

Juanita, if the ambulance crew did nothing but give your paitent a ride, why did you call them in the first place? When I was emergently sick and collapsed at work, I had a co-worker rush me to Enloe IMMEDIATELY because I knew she could get me there quicker than waiting for the ambulance and then them transporting me. Sounds like you made a bad decision, and then had to pay for it. But it now gives you something else and someone else to whine about.

I'm guessing they charged so much because Juanita rode in the ambulance with them...$1000/mile seems like fair compensation.

[Transplant]

How can this be discriminating? I'm sorry some people have some issues with weight, but at the end of the day if you're putting others at risk, or requiring extra time and personnel you should have to be charged. If they have to go the lengths of cutting a wall out of a home and forklift someone onto a flatbed, the patient or insurance company should be responsible for that cost. Plain and simple.

[welfare Mart]

Incredible 1000#, that's like 6 or 7 regular people or 2 walmart shoppers !!

[Payday]

If they require obese passengers to pay for two seats on airplanes, they should do the same for ambulances.

I agree with you, Transplant.

[Payday]

If obese passengers are charged the cost of two seats because they can't fit into one seat, ambulances should be able to charge them extra too.

I agree with you, Transplant.

[Eeek]

I love to watch the morbidly obese eat unhealthy food......especially when they do it as if they're starving.

[Wow]

John Lorenz wrote:

People who have kids and increase their carbon footprint should have to pay more taxes for the extra social services they take.

What social services?!? Not everyone who has kids is on Welfare, Healthy families, public schooled, etc. We buy (or grow) our own food, home school our children, and have private insurance.

Making someone pay extra because they are a ridiculous burden to the crew and vehicle seems to be good business to me. And has nothing to do with someone who has kids.

And on another note; I completely agree with only being able to buy healthy, whole foods with food stamps.

[chico ca]

About time!!! Why should health care workers have to kill themselves to help someone who doesn't help themselves! They come and pick you up, killing their backs, risking injury that could kill their career all because someone couldn't put down the fork!

[The Hawk]

Using the same logic, am I to guess ambulance service for an infant would be minimal?

[Whineta]

juanita wrote:

First Responder already charges over $1000 a mile. That's right, a two mile ambulance ride cost my family over $2500, and that's what the bill said,$1000 a mile. They didn't do anything for our patient but give him a ride. And they give no cash discount for uninsured people.
Does anybody know what an ambulance driver actually gets paid? I'm guessing it ain't no $1000 an hour.

Juanita, I would charge you $5000 per mile to ride in my car just because I'd have to listen to you complain and that "ain't no" lie.