title: ED's nonemergent patients must pay first or be referred.
abstract: Patients presenting to your ED with complaints that should be seen by a primary care physician can exacerbate overcrowding and tie up staff unnecessarily. The ED at Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland has addressed this problem with a two-pronged approach: Nonemergent patients who are uninsured but wish to be treated in the ED must pay $75 before treatment can begin. Patients also are offered the option of being referred to one of the system's neighborhood clinics. Referred patients are guaranteed they will be seen within 72 hours.
mesh_terms: D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006801:Humans; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010350:Patient Credit and Collection