In response to a news recent story (“Hospitals face new wave of competition from infusion centers,” April 17), I am making a reluctant defense of what hospitals charge for services.

Unlike infusion rooms, hospital emergency rooms are bound by the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act, which means that they must treat and stabilize all persons who come into the ER – with or without the ability to pay. Once the person is stabilized, then they can discharge, but they can never turn people away in a life-threatening situation. Sometimes that life-saving treatment is rather involved and costly. With uninsured and homeless patients, or with patients who simply cannot pay, the hospital eats the cost. Hospital ERs also get assault victims, psych holds and the super drunk. There is a heavy financial burden they bear to be “the last stop” for our community.

I think the infusion centers are a great alternative for the consumer. However, Anthem’s apparent advocacy for the patient goes as far as its bottom line. Anthem is not a community stakeholder like Maine Health and Northern Light, which both do a lot of community outreach and free community care. Perhaps a solution is universal MaineCare for those not insured by private insurers? I know that the answer is not to demonize two institutions that, despite their flaws, provide essential and life-giving care to our communities.

Matthew D. Simpson, R.N.
Portland