Maybe true, but as non-doctors, we are not necessarily qualified to self-diagnose the severity of a burn. We shouldn't be financially penalized for injuring ourselves and then -- in the stress and fear of the moment -- not being sure if our injury amounts to an emergency, or something much less urgent.

Well, at least, a functioning health care system shouldn't penalize for that sort of thing. We don't really have that in the US.

That was the treatment received, but perhaps they were referred to the ER by EMS for smoke inhalation.

I don't know either, but the broader point is that people are referred to the ED by medical professionals for seemingly minor issues all the time, and that the incentives are all lined up to treat stupid shit in the ER rather than have someone tell them to go somewhere that makes more sense.

>perhaps they were referred to the ER by EMS for smoke inhalation.

In that case part of the treatment they received was emergency evaluation for smoke inhalation. Just because they don't end up giving you drugs or doing surgery about it doesn't mean the assessment wasn't a valuable service.

> That was the treatment received, but perhaps they were referred to the ER by EMS for...

Isn't it CYA for any EMS to recommend you visiting the hospital, so they just say it to anyone. That allows them to later say that you failed to follow recommended advice.

Maybe so, but so what? If a medical professional tells me I should go to the hospital, I'm going to go. I'm not a doctor. I don't know how to diagnose injuries and illnesses beyond a very basic level.

That's exactly the point. People forget that EMS are not doctors. All they have is way more medical training than the average civilian. That's why it's a CYA for them. So the person that shows up to the ER as advised by EMS which later turns out to be a non-emergency is not the fault of the patient. Why punish them with unholy fees?