If you're not ready to pay a $100 surcharge, don't bring minor issues to the emergency department at Jacksonville, FL-based Memorial Hospital or Orange Park Medical Center. In August, the two HCA facilities began charging less-sick patients extra as a means of minimizing overcrowding. Since October, about 500 of the 5,500 patients treated at Memorial's ED were encouraged to seek primary care after being triaged. If they still wish to be treated in the ED, they can be, as long as they're willing to pony up the extra $100. This policy is new to northeastern Florida, but not to the U.S.  At least 15 of HCA's other Florida hospitals also charge extra for ED patients needing primary care.

For more background on the ED surcharge policy:
- read this article [1] from The Florida Times-Union

Related Articles:
- Overcrowding in the ED: FierceHealthcare readers weigh in on causes and solutions. Comments [2]
- Hospital ED routes patients to clinics. Article [3]
- CA insured patients overuse EDs. Article [4]
- Fast-tracking programs slash ED wait times. Article [5]
- Woman's death after ED wait ruled homicide. Article [6]
- ER death points at growing problem. Article [7]