USMLE Treating a patient that cannot pay

[DrPettans]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hi ! I'd like to know what Doctors do in the US when they have a patient that needs treatment, but he/she cannot pay for it.
I just read in kaplan "Never refuse to treat a patient because he or she cannot pay". But in Spain we have the social security system that pays for it, so I'd like to know how do american doctors do it. If they treat the patient, who pays for it?

Also, there's another statement saying "never lie to a patient". In Spain we have one exception to this rule: we are allowed to hide certain information if we consider that telling it will make the patient's status get worse (for example: a very old woman and also very sick, with long story of anxiety and depression disorders, that is very scared, and has been just diagnosed of cancer, and even the family says: "Please don't tell her, if she hears the word cancer that will devastate her. After interviewing the patient you agree with the family so you decide not to tell her").

 

[Phloston]

If you're asking about the USMLE, the answer is always granting care regardless of patient's ability to pay. In real life, things are a bit more complicated than that. Generally people are never refused simple/emergency treatment.

 

[tasar1898]

-

 

[worldbeater]

I've seen one question on UW about this, the answer involved doing the minimum to stabilize the patient so they live, but nothing more that. They had a bunch of options from minimum to all out consults.