>> ernie wrightington: this has always been our only option. >> pelley: the emergency room. >> ernie e emergency room, yeah. because the... we know that when we come here... they take the time to take care of him. they sit and watch him, make sure he's okay. >> pelley: but "okay" usually means "okay for the moment." typically, insurance companies pay for this care only as long as the patients are at "imminent risk" of harming themselves or others. >> geyser: some insurance companies will give us a couple of days, a few days before they ask us to call them back to get reauthorization for the admission. some of them are every single day that we have to call. and so usually, you know, we're talking about, you know, three to four days, and the insurance companies are saying, "all right, you know, it's time. let's get this kid out." >> pelley: because they're not going to kill themselves or someone else right now. >> geyser: right now, yeah. >> pelley: many patients need care for months or years. but there are few facilities of that kind, they're expensive, and often insurance won't cover