2 Fresno homeless men run up big ambulance bill

Sacramento Bee ^ | 2/19/12 | Marc Benjamin, Fresno Bee

[SmithL]

FRESNO – Two homeless men in Fresno have called for an ambulance an average of nearly twice a day for more than a year, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs – and even more when they get to a hospital.

They are Fresno County's highest-volume ambulance users – "frequent fliers" as they are called in the business – and their 1,363 combined trips made up 1.34 percent of all American Ambulance calls in the county last year.

"I call all the time," Cesar Arana, 41, said while sitting on a bus-stop bench downtown. "I have a major problem with my liver."

Lonzel McPeters, 51, has seizures and says he grows concerned when he senses one coming on. "I'd be having seizures on a regular basis," said McPeters, wearing a neck brace to stabilize a broken C-7 vertebrae after a January seizure. "I call when I feel like I'm having seizures."

Because the men don't pay for the rides, the bulk of the costs is passed on to others in the form of higher insurance rates. Taxpayers pick up part of the tab through Medi-Cal and other government programs.

[OrioleFan]

Obama voters?

[Mygirlsmom]

Multiple times each to be sure. They probably make a day of it - bussed around all day meals included.

[SpaceBar]

Cloward-Piven’s foot soldiers.

[blueunicorn6]

Well, I mean, you have to respond and give them an ambulance ride. Do they have any horse-drawn ambulances? Get one and dump all the horse manure in the back, for environmental reasons, and then take them to the hospital. You satisfy the requirements and you’re going green. Better yet, get a donkey and paint a red cross on the side. Let ‘em ride or drape them over the donkey like saddle bags. Hey, it’s an ambulance and you’re taking them to the hospital. Not fast enough? Get two horses. Tie ‘em up in court until they decide to find another racket.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

A few years back our local tv station ran a piece on how the ambulance service can't make the decision to turn anyone down if they call 911. They have to transport so the reporter was explaining how people abuse the system to get a ride - a $750 ride to the medical center for a visit to their doctor instead of calling a cab.

It is amazing how the "less fortunate" can't hold down a job but can learn to work the system to get so many benefits.

[Yorlik803]

We had FFs when I volunteered on a ambulance. We knew the address as soon we were dispatched. Chief complaint was something like Shortness of breath or leg pain. They didnt want any treatments other than Oxgen given by nasal canula. Sometimes we were still filling out paperwork or restocking the truck when we would see them leave the ER.
Made us a little Pissed, but there was little we could do.

[A_perfect_lady]

At the risk of sounding draconian, it would probably be cheaper to commit the both of them to psych wards from which they cannot escape or use phones. If they’re homeless, they probably don’t have families who’ll protest.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I can imagine it would tick off the EMTs - and that was what the local reporter was pointing out: that you couldn’t do anything about it and with Houston government, no one cared enough to make any changes either.

[Menehune56]

At the risk of sounding draconian, it would probably be cheaper to commit the both of them to psych wards from which they cannot escape or use phones. If they’re homeless, they probably don’t have families who’ll protest.

I like the way you think but the ambulance chasers would be all over this.

[DainBramage]

Here its called “free ride to the south side”. The county hospital is on the south side. They geto ut of the ambulance at the hospital sit in triage for 5 minutes then sneak out.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

They probably have the ambulance drivers shuttle them between polling places on election days.

[boop]

Just wait until one of these ambulances its tied up moving these pieces of garbage, and someone with a REAL emergency DIES because of it. Too bad there's not a a way to indemnify EMTs from making best interest judgements at the scene whether to transport. Seems like you could make the argument it IS a lifesaver.

As a doctor it would take all I have to not get into these a-holes faces and tell them that THEY are personally risking innocent people's lives by pulling this crap.

[libertarian27]

Moochers On the Move

Ambulances- in these cases- are used as MOM's Taxis

[paul51]

I wonder if they call on government issued cell phones?

[Jack Hammer]

Free rides and healthcare for drunks on the bummel, while citizens have to pay for their own - and for the drunks.

What’s wrong with this picture?

[43north]

I know an ER doc who did her residency training in Detroit. She called EMS the “cabulance”. They had one owebama voter who would develop “chest pain” every Wednesday night, get transported by “cabulance” to the ER, and then check out AMA (Against Medical Advice) as soon as he was checked in.

Turned out his weekly poker game was just down the street from the hospital.

[RedMDer]

Tired of the disruptions?

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

You said it exactly - it would fall on the EMTs if they had to make a decision. And even though common sense should be able to prevail, you know they would be sued or convicted if someone filed against them.

[A_perfect_lady]

I like the way you think but the ambulance chasers would be all over this.

Yes. These things must be done delicately, as the Wicked Witch of the West would say.