Many people choose not to become insured, and they may make poor health choices otherwise and don’t visit an ER until they have accumulated problems. On most ER visits I’ve had, insurance uis not discussed until the triage is done.
Sounds like most of these patients were ambulance patients with not much choice about going to the ER. They were trauma, not medical so accumulated problems isn’t what got them there.
Uninsured patients MIGHT if they are alert and talking delay refuse to go to the hospital because they can’t afford it, and then be in worse shape when they do show up. Last week I had a patient who had a first-time seizure a few hours after an auto accident. He was alert and oriented by the time we got there and refusing to go in. Major persuasion and pressure by EMTs, medics, cops, his wife finally wore him down but here was a hard-working family man putting off an evaluation he needed because he was so worried about the money.