Do you need to carry your health insurance card?

[MCST]

Should you carry your health insurance card in your wallet? Why or why not?

I always have, assuming that if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital. But, I recently read that it can be dangerous if you lost your wallet. Someone could use your insurance for fraudulent claims.

[bombcar]

You could carry it digitally on your phone.

If you’re incapacitated such that you can’t Terence your phone, you’re going to the nearest hospital by ambulance anyway.

[student]

I don't carry it. I was thinking that if I need to use it, I can log on to the app and show the card. But you make a good point about the situation that you are talking about.

[dukeblue219]

if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital.

Seriously?

[bob60014]

Should you carry your health insurance card in your wallet? Why or why not?

I always have, assuming that if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital.

But, I recently read that it can be dangerous if you lost your wallet. Someone could use your insurance for fraudulent claims.

. (bolded mine)

Sorry, that's not how it works for emergencies in most areas. You'll be taken to the closest available location. Besides, first responders don't give a darn about what type of insurance you may or may not have.

[stan1]

I think we are at peak Boglehead and are about ready to recommend people tattoo their choice of hospital, insurance info, health care directive, POLST, DNR, and contact info for power of attorney onto their forearm so that first responders know what to do.

[bradinsky]

I think we are at peak Boglehead and are about ready to recommend people tattoo their choice of hospital, insurance info, health care directive, POLST, DNR, and contact info for power of attorney onto their forearm so that first responders know what to do.

+1

[quantAndHold]

I carry it because I’m a recent cancer survivor, and was using it several times a week for several months, and still have appointments 2-3 times a month for something, and it’s convenient to have.

Before this happened, though, I didn’t carry it. I have it on my phone, and if it were the type of emergency where I couldn’t speak for myself, my wife has a second copy she could bring. I’ve also seen my provider (Kaiser) look me up by phone number, so if I got taken to a Kaiser hospital, I wouldn’t need it anyway.

Also, if you’re capable of telling them where you want to go, they ask, and take you there if it’s open. If you’re not capable, they take you to wherever is closest.

[BobTexas]

I haven’t carried mine for years. I added a digital version to my iPhone digital wallet. Occasionally I have a Dr office that wants to make a copy and I email it to them

[Jeepergeo]

Should you carry your health insurance card in your wallet? Why or why not?

I always have, assuming that if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital. But, I recently read that it can be dangerous if you lost your wallet. Someone could use your insurance for fraudulent claims.

Probably the least impactful item in a wallet to lose is cash. Credit cards, drivers licenses, and similar items lead to complications. So if you carry a DL or CC in your wallet, a health insurance card isnit going to change your risk by much. And most hospitals check/verify ID and coverage anyway.

IMHO, it is best to carry your health insurance card. I do.

[tunafish]

Should you carry your health insurance card in your wallet? Why or why not?

I always have, assuming that if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital.

But, I recently read that it can be dangerous if you lost your wallet. Someone could use your insurance for fraudulent claims.

. (bolded mine)

Sorry, that's not how it works for emergencies in most areas. You'll be taken to the closest available location. Besides, first responders don't give a darn about what type of insurance you may or may not have.

That's correct in my area.

[Mike Scott]

I use it often enough that it's easier to carry it than remember to get it out when I might need it.

[Tdubs]

I carry mine. When I had to go to urgent care last week while out of state, they wanted an image of it and confirmed quickly that they took my insurance. If I was very ill and had to go to the ER, how would having it on my phone help?

[Sandtrap]

Should you carry your health insurance card in your wallet? Why or why not?

I always have, assuming that if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital. But, I recently read that it can be dangerous if you lost your wallet. Someone could use your insurance for fraudulent claims.

To OP:
Doesn't it depend on how often you are asked to present your insurance and other medical cards?

There are a lot of doctor's offices, MRI Radiology clinics, Labs, etc, that ask for various Medicare Insurance and other cards to scan into their system. Some do it on every visit. So, "carrying" health insurance cards, etc, is based on frequency of need, isn't it?
And,
If one is unfortunate enough to need to go "quickly" to the ER at the hospital, they are going to want to see everything, most likely.

j

[H-Town]

Should you carry your health insurance card in your wallet? Why or why not?

I always have, assuming that if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital. But, I recently read that it can be dangerous if you lost your wallet. Someone could use your insurance for fraudulent claims.

Oh wow. Do you really think first responders would spend time to check if you have private insurance in order to take you to a good hospital? Really? I can't... First responders job is to save life. They will take victims to the nearest hospital that have the right trauma center level. Don't disrespect first responders like that.

Now if you carry any ID on you, the police can help find your family if you are unable to do so.

[Puyi]

Should you carry your health insurance card in your wallet? Why or why not?

I always have, assuming that if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital. But, I recently read that it can be dangerous if you lost your wallet. Someone could use your insurance for fraudulent claims.

Oh wow. Do you really think first responders would spend time to check if you have private insurance in order to take you to a good hospital? Really? I can't... First responders job is to save life. They will take victims to the nearest hospital that have the right trauma center level. Don't disrespect first responders like that.

Now if you carry any ID on you, the police can help find your family if you are unable to do so.

Not the first responders, but the hospital administrators. They will try to find out if you have good insurance or not to determine whether the hospital will get reimbursed for care. If you don't have insurance, they'll probably find some way to ship you out to a different hospital or block you from getting some advanced care. Administrators are MBAs and worry about the hospital's bottom line.

[H-Town]

Should you carry your health insurance card in your wallet? Why or why not?

I always have, assuming that if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital. But, I recently read that it can be dangerous if you lost your wallet. Someone could use your insurance for fraudulent claims.

Oh wow. Do you really think first responders would spend time to check if you have private insurance in order to take you to a good hospital? Really? I can't... First responders job is to save life. They will take victims to the nearest hospital that have the right trauma center level. Don't disrespect first responders like that.

Now if you carry any ID on you, the police can help find your family if you are unable to do so.

Not the first responders, but the hospital administrators. They will try to find out if you have good insurance or not to determine whether the hospital will get reimbursed for care. If you don't have insurance, they'll probably find some way to ship you out to a different hospital or block you from getting some advanced care. Administrators are MBAs and worry about the hospital's bottom line.

Only after you are in stable condition. They don't camp out at hospital emergency door to check on your insurance card. They definitely will not turn you away if you need immediate care. After you get to stable condition, then hospital administrators will make sure you have insurance and know the cost and your options, etc.

[nhs76]

For some reason, my MD office always tries to collect a copay that is different from my insurance. My card is proof, though it's still a minor nuisance to sort it out every time.

[JoMoney]

I keep a digital copy available on phone. If/when I get a 'Do Not Resuscitate' order I might find a way to carry a physical paper copy of that.

[DetroitRick]

I've always carried mine. I'm not going to predict how and when I'll need them - it's just easier to carry. I'm also not going to try to predict who will accept a card image on my phone, and who won't. If the cards are lost, I'll just handle it. Path of least resistance. So I'll continue carrying a physical wallet anyway, until everyone is on the same page with all digital documents (these cards and everything else).

[stan1]

Should you carry your health insurance card in your wallet? Why or why not?

I always have, assuming that if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital. But, I recently read that it can be dangerous if you lost your wallet. Someone could use your insurance for fraudulent claims.

Oh wow. Do you really think first responders would spend time to check if you have private insurance in order to take you to a good hospital? Really? I can't... First responders job is to save life. They will take victims to the nearest hospital that have the right trauma center level. Don't disrespect first responders like that.

Now if you carry any ID on you, the police can help find your family if you are unable to do so.

Not the first responders, but the hospital administrators. They will try to find out if you have good insurance or not to determine whether the hospital will get reimbursed for care. If you don't have insurance, they'll probably find some way to ship you out to a different hospital or block you from getting some advanced care. Administrators are MBAs and worry about the hospital's bottom line.

I'd be careful with statements like this based on false assumptions not facts. What may happen is a person will be discharged from inpatient care and then they would seek follow up care from their regular provider. For example, someone with Kaiser or another HMO might get emergency care at the closest hospital but you'd follow up with your own insurance network. In 2023 except in very rare cases someone would be discharged from inpatient hospital care as soon as necessary procedures are done and sent to a rehabilitation hospital if additional care is necessary and a person would not be able to only get outpatient care. If you do not have health insurance that's a specific situation and should be handled accordingly. If you do have health insurance no need to worry about a situation where you don't have health insurance.

Do not let 1 in 1000 edge/outlier cases influence how 999 out of 1000 other cases would be handled.

[DesertDiva]

I carry my card because my plan excludes certain health systems in my area. If I’m in an accident, I need to ensure that I’m not sent to those locations.

[Beensabu]

I carry it. I carry everything in my wallet, including checkbooks. That way, I can't forget something I need.

If I can't say "no" to an ambulance, I'm already screwed. It doesn't matter where they take me.

[uaeebs86]

I carry my card because my plan excludes certain health systems in my area. If I’m in an accident, I need to ensure that I’m not sent to those locations.

If you are incapacitated or seriously injured you will have no control over that unfortunately.

[evancox10]

Should you carry your health insurance card in your wallet? Why or why not?

I always have, assuming that if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital. But, I recently read that it can be dangerous if you lost your wallet. Someone could use your insurance for fraudulent claims.

Oh wow. Do you really think first responders would spend time to check if you have private insurance in order to take you to a good hospital? Really? I can't... First responders job is to save life. They will take victims to the nearest hospital that have the right trauma center level. Don't disrespect first responders like that.

Now if you carry any ID on you, the police can help find your family if you are unable to do so.

Not the first responders, but the hospital administrators. They will try to find out if you have good insurance or not to determine whether the hospital will get reimbursed for care. If you don't have insurance, they'll probably find some way to ship you out to a different hospital or block you from getting some advanced care. Administrators are MBAs and worry about the hospital's bottom line.

Similar things may happen in some other countries, but for all our healthcare flaws I don’t think this is one of them.

I carry my card because my plan excludes certain health systems in my area. If I’m in an accident, I need to ensure that I’m not sent to those locations.

You mean you are expecting first responders to read the card and determine what hospital to take you to? They will not do this.

Even if you are conscious and have a choice to make as to where to go, in a true emergency situation you should be protected anyways from out of network prices now. In 2022 I believe they banned balance billing for emergency situations. There may be some state to state variation here as well, so double check your state laws around this.
https://www.cms.gov/medical-bill-rights ... -insurance

[Doom&Gloom]

if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital.

Seriously?

I keep a $100 bill pinned to the front of my shirt just for that potential scenario.

I do carry my health insurance cards because I will probably forget to carry them for routine appointments where I might need them and I don't want to deal with them being on my phone. They're a heavy load, but I'm up to it.

[ekid]

Do you folks not know of the middle/upperclass man in DC I think- who was mugged, beaten, doused with beer and left unconscious on the grass. Running clothes, well used.

Medics delayed eventually causing his death.

And Eventually he was identified as editor or something with influential press/publishing house.

[dukeblue219]

Do you folks not know of the middle/upperclass man in DC I think- who was mugged, beaten, doused with beer and left unconscious on the grass. Running clothes, well used.

Medics delayed eventually causing his death.

And Eventually he was identified as editor or something with influential press/publishing house.

No, I don't think many people will be familiar with one tragic murder in a country that sees 20,000 a year.

What does that have to do with the original question? Is the implication that because he had an important job he should have received better care?

[ekid]

Do you folks not know of the middle/upperclass man in DC I think- who was mugged, beaten, doused with beer and left unconscious on the grass. Running clothes, well used.

Medics delayed eventually causing his death.

And Eventually he was identified as editor or something with influential press/publishing house.

No, I don't think many people will be familiar with one tragic murder in a country that sees 20,000 a year.

What does that have to do with the original question? Is the implication that because he had an important job he should have received better care?

Indeed that's what the investigation found. Or, the inverse actually. He was treated as an indigent- homeless druggie.

A brain injury that could have been treated successfully...if he had had ID on him!

I hesitate to say it was DC. I know it was East coast city.

[Northern Flicker]

Filing a medical insurance claim in your name is not the major risk of identity theft for medical services. The risk is someone receiving the services in your name. That's what generates a liability.

[Northern Flicker]

I carry my card because my plan excludes certain health systems in my area. If I’m in an accident, I need to ensure that I’m not sent to those locations.

They are not excluded for emergency care.

In a life-threatening emergency, you don't want EMTs spending time looking for your health insurance card and figuring out which hospitals are in-network so that they can then waste even more time taking you to one further away than the nearest one. But, don't worry. They won't do that, so it is safe to carry your insurance card in your wallet.

[A440]

I haven’t carried mine for years. I added a digital version to my iPhone digital wallet. Occasionally I have a Dr office that wants to make a copy and I email it to them

Here in NJ, Horizon BC/BS providers must accept a digital form of health insurance ID. I forgot my card once. Now I have it on my phone. Of course, if I forget my phone...
"Providers are required to accept Horizon NJ Health Digital Member ID Cards. Providers may not refuse to provide services to a member if a traditional, physical Horizon NJ Health ID card is not presented. Digital Member ID Cards provide a secure way to access the most up-to-date member enrollment information when members present for care."

[stan1]

My large university affiliated provider uses EPIC as their EMR system. There's a place to enter a scanned health insurance card, and the check in staff seem to be directed to scan it in frequently even though the card has no expiration date on it. I carry it, not sure what they would say if I said I didn't have it with me. Maybe I'll try that next time and see what happens.

[Flobes]

I have a personal medical factsheet of everything you need to know if you find me unconscious or in medical distress.

Headline "I have medical directives" followed by "In Case oF Emergency" contacts phone numbers, my Primary Care Physician's details, my allergies, and all my insurance #s.

Original is 8.5x11, a shrunken version is in my glove box, there's one in my passport case, and a miniaturized (credit-card size) edition is in my wallet.

[Doctor Rhythm]

Not the first responders, but the hospital administrators. They will try to find out if you have good insurance or not to determine whether the hospital will get reimbursed for care. If you don't have insurance, they'll probably find some way to ship you out to a different hospital or block you from getting some advanced care. Administrators are MBAs and worry about the hospital's bottom line.

That has not been my experience or my understanding of the laws that I practice under.

[cchrissyy]

if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital.

that's not how it works

and no, i haven't carried a physical insurance card in many years. there is a picture of it in my phone and that is good enough.

[jmw]

I always have, assuming that if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital.

It doesn't work like that at all unless the time needed to travel between two hospitals are the same given traffic conditions. And that's assuming the hospital isn't diverting ambulances to other hospitals due to being full. If you ask the EMT for a specific hospital, most of the time they will refuse your request for the top tier AAA 5-star hospital and take you to the closer 1-star unless the time estimate is very similar. If you prefer a specific hospital, get someone other than an ambulance to take you there.

[jmw]

Not the first responders, but the hospital administrators. They will try to find out if you have good insurance or not to determine whether the hospital will get reimbursed for care. If you don't have insurance, they'll probably find some way to ship you out to a different hospital or block you from getting some advanced care. Administrators are MBAs and worry about the hospital's bottom line.

That has not been my experience or my understanding of the laws that I practice under.

Not the same situation, but Kaiser will move you from the non-Kaiser to Kaiser even if that transfer has a lot of risk of killing or injuring you further. This is true even if the Kaiser hospital is vastly inferior for condition xyz versus the hospital you were initially taken to. There are instances where Kaiser refuses to pay the non-Kaiser hospital for ER services at the rack rate because Kaiser wants a big discount from the non-Kaiser such as Kaiser Hawaii.

As far as hospital administrators shipping off patients with crappy insurance, I haven't seen that but that's above my pay grade.

[Doctor Rhythm]

Not the first responders, but the hospital administrators. They will try to find out if you have good insurance or not to determine whether the hospital will get reimbursed for care. If you don't have insurance, they'll probably find some way to ship you out to a different hospital or block you from getting some advanced care. Administrators are MBAs and worry about the hospital's bottom line.

That has not been my experience or my understanding of the laws that I practice under.

Not the same situation, but Kaiser will move you from the non-Kaiser to Kaiser even if that transfer has a lot of risk of killing or injuring you further. This is true even if the Kaiser hospital is vastly inferior for condition xyz versus the hospital you were initially taken to. There are instances where Kaiser refuses to pay the non-Kaiser hospital for ER services at the rack rate because Kaiser wants a big discount from the non-Kaiser such as Kaiser Hawaii.

As far as hospital administrators shipping off patients with crappy insurance, I haven't seen that but that's above my pay grade.

Yes - I have encountered that situation with Kaiser. We receive (and typically decline) transfer requests from Kaiser’s emergency departments for patients insured by a carrier that does not have a contract with Kaiser.

In any case, for OP’s question - I carry my insurance card with the hope that it makes it easier for someone else to do their job, and that in turn makes my care smoother.

[Northern Flicker]

Not the same situation, but Kaiser will move you from the non-Kaiser to Kaiser even if that transfer has a lot of risk of killing or injuring you further.

Can you provide a reference to an example of a patient being transferred out of a hospital against the medical advice of the attending physician?

[WoostaGal]

At a minimum I always carry an old license, old insurance card, and a $20 bill with me when I leave the house. I have them wrapped together with a rubber band by the door so I can just grab them and go. The old license and insurance card have all of my current information. Taped to the license is a small piece of paper with my emergency contacts and their phone numbers. If I'm alone and am unconscious, this would provide responders with my identity and a way to contact my family. If I go out on a walk by myself, I always bring these things with me. Otherwise, how would anyone be able to identify me if I get in a serious accident?

[SmileyFace]

My cards are pretty thin so take up little wallet thickness and when a new practice I am going to wants to make a copy it is easy to comply.
EMTs are not looking thru your wallet trying to decide a care plan for you during an emergency dependant upon your insurance.
During a life threatening emergency they MUST and WILL take you to the closest hospital - not the best nor the one that accepts your insurance nor one of your request. (It may not always be the absolute closest dependent upon what needs they determine and what nearby hospitals have for your need).

[kevinf]

EMT here, we transport to the closest APPROPRIATE facility for life-threatening care. Traumas may go to a different hospital than strokes would for example. But for non-life-threatening transports that don't requires specialty care, i.e. the VAST majority of ambulance transports, most services will generally allow the patient to go to their desired hospital as long as it's within reasonable distance. The folks on the ambulance don't care what insurance you have or don't have. We'll take your demographics info and let the billing people deal with all that later.

[nonnie]

At least 75% of the time when I go to a new physician/specialist they require either my DL with a photo or take a photo for my file.

[3000]

I use to carry both my health and my dental insurance cards but I slimed down my wallet to my diver's license, debit card, two credit cards, and some cash. If I'm going to an appointment I grab my card and take it with me, if I forget it I have a digital version of it in Apple Wallet. I also have my AAA and auto insurance cards in the Wallet app as well. I do have a paper auto insurance card in my car. My Costco membership card stays in my car and again I can pull up the digital version in the Costco app if I forget it in the car, I wish Costco would make it available in the Wallet app, maybe one day.

[MJS]

ICE Card (In Case of Emergency Card) in top pocket of wallet, in front of driver's license: Emergency contact, Doctor's name, current RX, allergies, basic insurance info.

[quantAndHold]

Not the first responders, but the hospital administrators. They will try to find out if you have good insurance or not to determine whether the hospital will get reimbursed for care. If you don't have insurance, they'll probably find some way to ship you out to a different hospital or block you from getting some advanced care. Administrators are MBAs and worry about the hospital's bottom line.

That has not been my experience or my understanding of the laws that I practice under.

Not the same situation, but Kaiser will move you from the non-Kaiser to Kaiser even if that transfer has a lot of risk of killing or injuring you further. This is true even if the Kaiser hospital is vastly inferior for condition xyz versus the hospital you were initially taken to. There are instances where Kaiser refuses to pay the non-Kaiser hospital for ER services at the rack rate because Kaiser wants a big discount from the non-Kaiser such as Kaiser Hawaii.

As far as hospital administrators shipping off patients with crappy insurance, I haven't seen that but that's above my pay grade.

Yes - I have encountered that situation with Kaiser. We receive (and typically decline) transfer requests from Kaiser’s emergency departments for patients insured by a carrier that does not have a contract with Kaiser.

In any case, for OP’s question - I carry my insurance card with the hope that it makes it easier for someone else to do their job, and that in turn makes my care smoother.

That’s the opposite of what the grandfather post was claiming, which is that Kaiser will rip Kaiser patients out of non-Kaiser hospitals when it isn’t medically appropriate. Kaiser wants to treat their own patients, who have presumably been getting appropriate preventative care, not a bunch of yahoos who haven’t seen a doctor in the past two decades. Their whole business model is built on the fact that it’s cheaper to care for people who get preventative care, so I’m not surprised that they would try to transfer out non-members.

As far as Kaiser ripping their patients out of non-Kaiser hospitals when it’s medically inappropriate, I’d like to see a citation, because that’s not my experience. Also, the Kaiser hospitals here are considerably better than most of the alternatives, so if I was somewhere else and was stable, I’d be begging for a transfer to Kaiser.

[Doctor Rhythm]

Not the first responders, but the hospital administrators. They will try to find out if you have good insurance or not to determine whether the hospital will get reimbursed for care. If you don't have insurance, they'll probably find some way to ship you out to a different hospital or block you from getting some advanced care. Administrators are MBAs and worry about the hospital's bottom line.

That has not been my experience or my understanding of the laws that I practice under.

Not the same situation, but Kaiser will move you from the non-Kaiser to Kaiser even if that transfer has a lot of risk of killing or injuring you further. This is true even if the Kaiser hospital is vastly inferior for condition xyz versus the hospital you were initially taken to. There are instances where Kaiser refuses to pay the non-Kaiser hospital for ER services at the rack rate because Kaiser wants a big discount from the non-Kaiser such as Kaiser Hawaii.

As far as hospital administrators shipping off patients with crappy insurance, I haven't seen that but that's above my pay grade.

Yes - I have encountered that situation with Kaiser. We receive (and typically decline) transfer requests from Kaiser’s emergency departments for patients insured by a carrier that does not have a contract with Kaiser.

In any case, for OP’s question - I carry my insurance card with the hope that it makes it easier for someone else to do their job, and that in turn makes my care smoother.

That’s the opposite of what the grandfather post was claiming, which is that Kaiser will rip Kaiser patients out of non-Kaiser hospitals when it isn’t medically appropriate. Kaiser wants to treat their own patients, who have presumably been getting appropriate preventative care, not a bunch of yahoos who haven’t seen a doctor in the past two decades. Their whole business model is built on the fact that it’s cheaper to care for people who get preventative care, so I’m not surprised that they would try to transfer out non-members.

As far as Kaiser ripping their patients out of non-Kaiser hospitals when it’s medically inappropriate, I’d like to see a citation, because that’s not my experience. Also, the Kaiser hospitals here are considerably better than most of the alternatives, so if I was somewhere else and was stable, I’d be begging for a transfer to Kaiser.

I think you are correct — I misread the prior post about which direction the transfer was going. Kaiser does try to “repatriate” their members back into their network, and if they are stable enough, we generally facilitate that. I’m sure it’s more cost-effective for them to provide most inpatient care in-network than have to pay another hospital’s bill. Our hospital also contracts with Kaiser to provide some of their tertiary care needs that they aren’t able to provide themselves. I haven’t encountered a situation where Kaiser has pressured us to transfer a patient that is unstable.

I do stand by my personal experience that Kaiser will try to transfer (say) Medicaid patients from their ED to other hospitals. It’s understandable, but we don’t generally accept them unless there are non-financial considerations.

.

[Mr. Rumples]

I don't unless traveling since each chain has my information due to past surgeries and seeing physicians in their network. (On the other hand, I have made it clear to my family to never take me to a Mercy/Bon Secours hospital if possible, physicians are great, billing is a mess.). Every locality probably has an emergency protocol which monitors surge capacity and if there is a mass casualty incident and rules governing mutual aid of medical facilities. (This is covered by statute in Virginia.) When things get tight where I live, the dispatchers tell them which ER to go to. In other cases, they have other rules. In central VA for example, gunshot wounds are normally routed to either Richmond (MCV) or Charlottesville (UVA); two hospitals are burn centers, heart attacks to the nearest facility, mental health emergencies to others and so forth.

This is just one of the many planning protocols first responders/911 folks have to know: https://townhall.virginia.gov/l/GetFile ... 732_v1.pdf https://asprtracie.hhs.gov/technical-re ... lability/0

[donaldfair71]

if I were seriously injured I’d want first responders to see I have private insurance and take me to a good hospital.

Seriously?

Reminds me of the “Wallet Biopsy” from the Sopranos.