Health care for Illegals

...should the tax payers foot major medical expenses incurred by Illegals?

US laws require hospitals to treat people irrespective of their Citizenship status until they are medically stable.

Are the illegals included in "this" category? After all, they are criminals who broke the law.

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:...should the tax payers foot major medical expenses incurred by Illegals?

US laws require hospitals to treat people irrespective of their Citizenship status until they are medically stable.

Are the illegals included in "this" category? After all, they are criminals who broke the law.

Well, in case of major emergencies- stabilizing patients, irrespective of who they are..is the universal norm in any hospital/clinic.
Even in most battlefield medical stations and setups..medics help enemies and stabilize them if they are brought over..

*Now U, you do raise important questions about the real challenges..related to the enormous medical expenses in the US HealthCare System..esp. all the "non-emergency" visits to ERs, Clinics, esp. by "illegal immigrants"..can't think of any easy solutions.

Maria S wrote:

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:...should the tax payers foot major medical expenses incurred by Illegals?

US laws require hospitals to treat people irrespective of their Citizenship status until they are medically stable.

Are the illegals included in "this" category? After all, they are criminals who broke the law.

Well, in case of major emergencies- stabilizing patients, irrespective of who they are..is the universal norm in any hospital/clinic.
Even in most battlefield medical stations and setups..medics help enemies and stabilize them if they are brought over..

*Now U, you do raise important questions about the real challenges..related to the enormous medical expenses in the US HealthCare System..esp. all the "non-emergency" visits to ERs, Clinics, esp. by "illegal immigrants"..can't think of any easy solutions.

I can't think of any for-profit hospitals to ever allow non-emergency visits by illegals unless someone is willing to pay for the costs or has medical insurance to cover them. Usually such generosity stems from religious, charitable institutions or incompetency of the government hospital system. But all healthcare institutions by law are required to treat ER patients in life or death situations regardless of immigration or insurance status. Illegal immigrants don't get free treatments as people here seem to believe.

GC,
As everyone knows..delivery of Health Care (anywhere) has been drastically changing in the past 5-10 years and continues to change ..on many levels due to internal changes (technology, medical advancements, insurance coverage, *physician/health professionals shortages etc) as well as external changes- changes in laws and increase-shifts in populations etc.


*In the US- There are two groups of patients seen in the ERs in any hospital- for profit or non-profit..no one is really turned (extremely rare) away..not out of goodness, but for liability reasons.

1) Patients who are seen for true life and death conditions (high in the urgency list to be seen)

2)Patients who have non-life threatening illnesss and injuries (low- to very low in the urgency list..these people will wait for hours and hours).

When it comes to payments- four basic groups:

1) Patients with as good as it can get Medical Insurance (BC/BS, Aetna..other good insurance plans etc)..some just can't get an appointment with their family physician/primary care provider/specialist for weeks become tired of waiting and just decide to go to the ER..if nothing else, a prescription.

2) Medicare/Medicaid (same reason as above)

and

3) "uninsured/underinsured US citizens" - really the working poor..who can't get health insurance through their workplace..and don't qualify for Medicaid/and other Govt. programs.
4) "illegal" immigrants..may or may not work..their families. A preg woman..may have never had an OB visit..but, will walk into the ER with problems..(it may be just a minor condition or serious)..but, she will be evaluated. And of course, sick pediatric patients, no one is going to turn them away.

*Interestingly..mostly everyone pays something :
Copayments (if they have insurance) the working poor and illegal immigrants also *DO pay small amounts (cash/credit cards)..for example $75- $100 at the ER, which often does not cover 20-25% of a ER visit (including lab work, Xrays, scans, meds can run in the thousands) and the rest is billed..perhaps never paid or delayed for years..these losses have to be absorbed by someone!

*It's complicated- the everyday realities! And I may have missed something in my statements too (as long as they are and may be tedious:)!)
Unless there is "sensible" Immigration Reform-with modifications dealing with Health Care for all..don't see how we can even address the real problems.