[mkjessup]

We have always had a safety net...and it was NOT universal healthcare.

You are exactly correct. Up until this ObamaScare scam, it was a matter of public law that ANY public (not private, public) hospital was required to treat patients in urgent or dire need, and could NOT turn them away for lack of insurance. That applies to all public (not-for-profit) hospitals, however FOR-profit hospitals reserve the right to refuse any patient they believe does not have the ability to pay for services.

You go to a public hospital with an urgent care issue, you're gonna get treated and lil boy Barky had nothing to do with it.

[antceecee]

Nice to hear from someone who knows the history.

[EDINVA]

Actually, it wasn’t “always.” The law requiring hospitals to accept anyone in need of ER services (EMTALA) is only 30 years old. Before that the hospitals usually did refuse anyone who didn’t have insurance.