ER Costs | Video

Rene Thibault | 2/8/2013

Many hospitals across the country have to deal with the situation of people using their emergency rooms for non-emergency situations. The same happens at Trinity Health in Minot. No one that goes to their Emergency Trauma Center is refused care. A patient`s health is their number one priority, but those situations that aren`t life threatening can be draining on the hospital’s resources.

“We`re providing more than $40 million in care that`s not paid for at this point. So your care in the ER is much more expensive care, and if you don`t have insurance, either the hospital eats that or other patients help pay for that, subsidize that,” stated Randy Schwan, the Vice President of Trinity Health

Schwan also said patients receive better one-on-one care at through a primary care physician. Trinity Health does offer charitable care and long term payment plans for those who can`t pay a large amount up front. Minot also has a free health clinic that offers help to anyone who does not have health insurance.

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