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GoogleWith individuals seeking medical attention under a false name, the victims often finds his or her medical benefits exhausted and are left with unpaid bills. Victims can also find themselves in a serious medical predicament.
The Federal Trade Commission has issued a Positive Patient Identity regulation.
Effective Sunday, all patients seeking medical attention at Putnam County Hospital will be asked to show an acceptable photo ID upon entering for treatment.
Acceptable forms of identification include any local state or federal government agency issued ID, such as driver's license, passport or military. In the event a patient does not have photo identification, two forms of non-photo ID, one of which has been issued by the state or federal agency -- social security card -- along with a utility bill or school identification card will be accepted.
When a patient is younger than 18 years old, the parent/guardian present will be asked to present his or her identification.
PCH has begun installing Web cams at each registration station to photograph each patient. The photo will be permanently attached to the patient's medical record to insure positive identification.
"The regulation has been established as a safety precaution for our patients," said Susan Franz, privacy officer and medical records manager for PCH.
"We want to be sure that the person that is in front of us is truly who they say they are," she added.
The hospital asks for cooperation from patients as this new process is rolled out, by having your ID ready upon arrive, Franz said.
"Patient safety is our number one priority," she said.
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Oh please that hospital still tries to catch up with things that have been happening 10 years ago at other hospitals but will never catch up. They are not HIPAA compliant in the registration area so do you think taking pictures will really help that? Plus do you think the wonderful PCH registration clerks will do their job?
First of all if registration was not HIPAA compliant, it would not be open right now and the registration clerks have a difficult job and do it good. There job is not easy. If you haven't worked there or don't work there now, you shouldn't be saying anything unless you know what you are talking about. They have all sorts of things they have to remember to do.
It is comments like yours that give the Hospital a bad name. Comments from people who do not know what they are talking about and people believe the lies...
No sis67, it is not comments like hers that give the hospital a bad name. Let me tell you what gives Putnam County Hospital a bad name-
Twenty three years ago, when I was three, I was accidentally hit in the head with a baseball bat. My head was busted open. I was taken to Putnam County Hospital for stitches. I received the stitches, but it was a lousy job, the skin was bunched up on one side, and my mom was not happy with how they had done it. She took me to another hospital in Indianapolis where they had to redo them. They said it would never have healed right, and their would have been a bigger scar had they been left that way.
Twelve years ago, I was involved in a head on collision automobile crash. My lip was busted open, and I could only move my mouth in one direction. Again, I was taken to Putnam County Hospital. Xrays were taken. The radiologist said I had one hairline fracture in my jaw, and that nothing needed to be done, it would heal in time, and then I was released. Luckily, my mom knew that that could not be the case, and off to St. Vincent's Hospital in Indianapolis we went. Xrays were taken at this hospital where it turned out my jaw was broken in three places, not just one hairline fracture. This injury required plastic surgery, a metal plate in my jaw, and seven weeks of my jaw being wired shut to heal.
I will never go back to Putnam County Hospital, I will never send my future children there, and I will never recommend anyone to go there.
I wouldn't send a dead dog there for a diagnosis.
It's the way the hospital is ran and the doctors that work there that give it a bad name. I happen to have a family member perish due to misdiagnosis. Needless to say, the settlement wasn't worth the life it cost. I would never take my child there.
It is not about the safety of the patient at all. If you haven't figured it out yet it is all about the money. Think about it! If someone goes to the hospital with a false or borrowed ID and is treated, are they likely to pay the bill? If it was your ID that was stolen, you are not liable for the bill. Period! These new regs do not apply if you are an illegal or undocumented alien, however.
Where is the outrage from all the liberals? Why should I have to show photo ID just to get into the hospital?
The next thing you know they will be making me show photo ID to vote!! Wait a minute, they tried that last election! The ACLU went ape**** and took the state to court to block that because it might, just might, disenfranchise some poor person who could not afford to secure a state issued ID!
I could be disenfranchised from entering the hospital if I have to show ID!! What about the poor and the elderly (who use healthcare the most), what if they don't have ID? Are they going to be turned away? Where is the ACLU - WE MUST GET THIS STOPPED IMMEDIATELY!!!!
Right you are bondsman. Hospitals are part of an industry. Industries are leaders in the business world. Business is all about profit for survival. Business has no morals. Absolute ID is soon to come for the sake of doing any business, anywhere.
I am so glad the hospital is taking extra precautions to ensure their patients' financial security. If you have never been a victim of identity theft, consider yourself very lucky! The entire ordeal can be very stressful and hard to clear up! More local businesses should follow suit with identity checks. I mean how many times have you swiped your debit or credit card in the checkout lane at Kroger or Wal-Mart and had to show your ID? Probably close to never! So what if someone stole your card and went swipe happy? Of course, you would not have to pay the charges, but have fun proving it was really stolen and you, yourself did not spend the money! That is a headache in itself. It drives me crazy that people want to be protected by the businesses (including hospitals) where they spend their money, but do not want to waste the extra energy it takes to provide their identification. As far as PCH goes, if you have not frequented the establishment in the past decade, how can you possibly know how it is run? Think about it people, businesses and organizations are constantly changing.
this hospital can't get they're information correct, I received a bill and attached to it was someone else's patient information, including the name and address of this other person, so did my information go to someone else???????????????
As far as the hospital is concerned, I guess that is why we need the government option on health care. Once everybody is covered, voila, no need for ID......right??