Lower standard of healthcare for ACA patients??

Sunday night a friend of mine fell and broke her clavicle while I was with her. She’s mid fifties, is still recovering from a breast cancer diagnosis last year (with multiple complications there as well) and heart disease. So she has comorbidities. During the 6 hours we were there she never went in back and never saw a Dr. After 6 hours the nurse comes and says the clavicle is broke. We see the xray. It’s bad. Definitely needs surgery. One bone is completely over the other. So they say there’s nothing they can do because ortho isn’t there. So she can leave. I was flabbergasted.

I asked why they would send her home. They just kept repeating there’s nothing they can do there. I’m like you can admit her so she see ortho in the morning. She has two dogs, etc. I’m like she will just make it worse at home. Her son lives with her, but works full time. Nurse just politely kept saying no. That’s not how they do it. My friend is already freaking about her job. She has worked her entire life and worked her ass off as a waitress. During discharge instructions they say the called an ortho guy and left the information and to call the office and HOPEFULLY they’ll get her an appt this week. I’m like what!?! (My friend is like don’t say anything. Understandable since she knows she’s not getting equal care and doesn’t want the little she is getting to be jeopardized by me pissing off staff )

So yesterday morning she calls the ortho guy’s number and staff says they do t take the insurance. So she calls insurance company and they gave her a list. After 14 calls, she finds one, but they need a referral from her pcp who doesn’t even know what happened. Thankfully even though her dr wasn’t in, someone gave her a referral. So she drives there and then to the ortho office and they say they’ll call today to see when they can get her in.

I’m just so appalled. I’ve had a few things like this happen to other friends who are single moms. What’s the point of having the ACA if no one takes it and the hospital does what they’ve always done with people who didn’t have insurance?

This is a separate rant, but why are direct admits not a thing anymore? I saw that happen 4 times while we were waiting. Why would insurance companies or hospitals make all direct admits go through the er!?!? Talk about a waste of funding and resources. I can’t believe the staff in the er haven’t gone nuclear over it.

TLDR why have the ACA if drs refuse taking it and hospitals refuse to treat?