The Last Straw
Wait it gets worse OCM
In order for the hospital to get paid treating an illegal alien and tap into that billion dollar pie they must prove they are an illegal alien BUT---they can not ask.
Your government has gone insane.
Posted by Z Woof
05/10/2005 at 10:29 AM
Here in Florida a Latino group is raising hell about how uninsured people are paying a high price and insured people pay a very low price for the same service at a hospital. That is a very good nich in the courts. Then they use stats to say the Hispanics have higher uninsured populations so it’s discriminatory. Wow, hospital lawyers are scramblin’.
One problem may be if an uninsured person does not pay, then the debt can be written off. So the bigger the debt the bigger the write off for the hospital.
Hospital may have to rethink their billing structures. Plus, the state is trying to make them list their costs on the web so consumers will be better educated.
Some Republicans tried to get varification on this billion dollars to illegals but the Liberals said no way, and our weak ass conservatives caved in again.
Why do conservatives cave into liberals every single time
I guess the only thing the weak ass Republicans can do is expand our majority in both Houses of Congress so they won’t be so damn scared all the time.
Posted by Z Woof
05/10/2005 at 12:09 PM
Emergency room care (ER) for illegals is a real problem everywhere.
By law, and common decency, you treat everyone the same for ER. But those who cannot pay may or may not be illegals.
So, if you have assets you pay. And heavily. It is sensible, but dishonest, to hide any resources and deceive the ER staff as best you can.
Now the feds are going to reimburse if the patient is illegal. But ER isn’t a detective agency so they cannot evaluate which patients are illegals.
Basic economics tells us that more ER patients will be declared illegals for billing. Destitute US citizens will become less desirable than illegals at the ER.
This situation is an utter mess, was a mess before this new policy, and will remain a mess. Reimbursement may change the smell a little, it solves nothing.
Posted by KenS
05/10/2005 at 03:11 PM
The answer is obvious: you pay for your own healthcare, or rely on private charities.
To hear the Left tell it, we didn’t become a great country until FDR decide he had a right to snatch your income and give it to hostile..er illegal immigrants.
The answer is obvious: The US Constitution, under Article One, Section Eight, does NOT give the Federal Congress any powers over healthcare.
I would like to repeat that word: healthcare.
I repeated it to differenciate from a ‘healthcare system, which seems to be equivalent to universal health insurance.
And don’t quote the ‘streched too breaking’ Commerce clause. You can only need healthcare in one state. No commerce.
Exactly Christopher, OCM, KenS and BobF.
Health care is not a right for free from the Federal Government.You have the right of free speeech, unless you want to by a radio commercial before an election and use the name of someone running for office. McCain made sure that can’t happen in the land of the free. But a lot of the time you have the right of free speech but where is this free healthcare coming from?
Posted by Z Woof
05/10/2005 at 04:04 PM
Hey, in the state of Wisconsin the illegals not only get my tax money to pay for thier care, but the fucktard, communist, piece of rat feces Governor and his party helped thousands of them to vote in the last election to put more commies into office to get them more of my tax money. There are tens of thousands of illegal votes that were counted here and the numbers keep going up as the investigation continues. Of course no one hears about it because our local media are a bunch of fucktard moonbat communists as well!!!!! ARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Re: health care is not a right......
That is not the basis of the ER problem. If ER care is available then the staff cannot question people about their legal status or deny them care for financial reasons. That violates equal rights.
If needed, care begins w/o identification.
ERs only need to provide emergency care.
But the staff must decide what is emergency care. So when a mother brings in a child with a high fever, cough, vomiting, etc. how bad is it? The doctor must decide, and will probably admit on the side of caution.The mother has nothing and the ER is stuck.
I see ways out - none appealing.
A few: Bill the foreign governments - yeah that will work! Let people die. Ruthlessly seek out and seize anything even the poorest own.My favorite: levy a new tax on all employers - tell them it pays for the social costs of illegal aliens in the United States - those illegals have jobs because, as we all are told, evil Americans employee them.
Posted by KenS
05/10/2005 at 06:29 PM
The crisis of the ER is much larger than illegals. I suspect they comprise less than a fourth of the unpaid bills. But they are a convenient target.
I am totally against illegal immigration, but in this case, the public is being hoodwinked. Our attention is diverted from the real problems ... lack of insurance and tort reform. Those targets are able to manipulate our attentions with ease.
File this thought ... insurance companies have historically gotten over 50% return on their investments and yet still cry about disasters and crisis. Malpractice rates are prohibitive. Lawyers win both ways. 40% fees in awards and defending doctors at that same rate.
Meanwhile, there are 40 million workers who do not make enough to cover basic insurance rates.
Posted by Steel Turman
05/10/2005 at 07:41 PM
We’ve been here before.
No politician on either side of the aisle dares to touch this issue of illegal immigration. Some might want to, but the party higher-ups will keep them muzzled. So we find them, in effect, trying to hold off a hungry lion by letting it chew on their arms!
The existing Hispanic vote is simply too large to risk alienating (not to mention the potential future vote now swarming over the border), and the politicians on either side are simply waiting for the politicians on the other side to stick their necks out too far.
They stalemate each other. Neither wants the odium of taking the initiative in this matter, and both have their opprobrium lined up and ready for anyone who dares.
I agree completely that this issue must be dealt with, but I have absolutely no hope that it can or will be dealt with from the official level.
I work in an ER in St. Louis....EMTALA laws prohibit us asking insurance information at the time of triage & registration..........After evaluation and treatment we send the patient to the registration desk at the time of discharge.......only then do we learn whether the patient has insurance or not.......Then it’s up to the billing department to pursue for payment.........We get many returning patients that come up on the computer as “bad debt” - however we still treat everyone the same - bad debt or not..............Something is seriously wrong with our current health care rules & regulations...........
Posted by Dottie
05/10/2005 at 09:11 PM
No Diamonds OCM, It’s a Video
If you have no insurance and your wife has cancer they say, “Did you bring your checkbook? If not, you have to go back to Iowa and get it. NEXT!!!”
If you have confirmed paying insurance they say, “Wheelchair please. And here is a Welcome Video of our Cancer Center.”
The new liver place in Omaha has floors dedicated to the herds of people that come with rich Arabs, like Shiek Yorbody, with liver problems. I think they did Robert Redford’s son too, his transplant, his second.
Posted by Z Woof
05/11/2005 at 09:19 AM
Competition is manditory in free and open markets. So why would you “Stop the competition amongst hospitals,” OCM?
In Florida Jeb Bush want’s all hospitals to list their charges on the web so consumers may be better informed.
Hospital Charges Examples:
Ear wax removal, code 2347681
Miami Hospital A: $9,427
Tampa Hospital C: $71
Consumers need this information and competition.
Posted by Z Woof
05/12/2005 at 09:29 AM
