Posted on 05/11/2005 1:23:00 PM PDT by CHARLITE
If you’re an "undocumented" illegal immigrant, and you need medical attention–well, get on the "gravy train" for free healthcare compliments of our government, and struggling taxpayers to the tune of $1 billion smackeroos, set aside for your medical costs in six states. There’s only one small hurdle, but I’m sure you’ve already had a lot of practice in getting past the hurdle before. It is quite simple: just don’t admit that you’re an illegal immigrant. And to help you beat the system, and get by with your illegal activity–congress has ordered the "don’t ask" policy to hospital staffs throughout the nation. You even have the blessing from our president to continue breaking the law. Now that’s what I call eastern, western, northern and southern hospitality!
Only in America can the law-abiding citizens’ feet be held to the fire, while foreigners are practically begged to break the laws here in America. We are definitely earning the reputation to be categorized as a bunch of losers and pushovers to other countries.
Just recently, Dr. Mark McClellan administrator of Medicaid and Medicare, gave the command that under no circumstances will hospital staff be required to ask sick people whether or not they are U.S. citizens. My, don’t you wish you had someone like that overseeing that you are provided excellent medical care when you go to the hospital, if you don’t have health insurance?
Oh now I get it! ...the ones who are eligible for free emergency care treatment will be easily recognizable, otherwise, a United States citizen might get through the "freebie" crack, and not be charged for medical assistance. Goodness . . . we can’t have that happening now–can we?
Obviously, the command from the Bush Administration to treat illegal immigrants does not go far enough to suit Cecilla Munoz, a representative of the National Council of La Raza, as she fears many illegal immigrants will still fear seeking treatment.
Okay, I have a suggestion: let’s just give all of the illegal aliens our hospitals--lock, stock, and barrel--and be done with it!
In case you’re wondering how the billion dollars is going to be allocated in this fiscal year through 2008 for free illegal immigration medical treatment, here is the breakdown: California will get $70.8 million; Texas, $46 million; Arizona, $45 million; New York, $ 12.3 million; Illinois, $10.3 million; Florida, $8.7 million, with New Mexico rounding out the top six states at $5.1 million. Now you can go and throw up!
Just think how the medical directives and benefits could help our own citizens in desperate need of healthcare benefits. Well, you don’t count, you will just have to go crawl up in a ball somewhere and die.
I think most of us can agree that something is dreadfully wrong here in America, and it needs to be fixed. Here’s a suggestion to start the ball moving in the right direction: we need to distance ourselves from the United Nations and quit being Santa Claus to every rogue nation in the universe, and quit stuffing the stockings of illegal aliens every day here in America.
We are told that we must allow foreigners to come to America, if we want our economy to grow. And if you believe that "figment" of somebody’s imagination–you’ll end up in poverty, and another depression no doubt! I will have to say one positive thing for our American leaders: they have made sure that we’re the richest nation in the world–if you count the trillions of dollars only on paper.
Most of us already know that our economy is prospering due to "plastic" money. If all charge cards were taken away, there would be an immediate depression.
I have been told that I’m not to worry when my stock goes up or down, because you’re only losing or gaining money on paper until the stock is sold. Whew . . . that’s nice to know! Okay, what do I lose if the stock bottoms out . . . just more paper? You should see just how stupid this analogy is by now!
No . . . what you should see: is how you’re being fed a big dream by opportunists’ forcing you to accept foreigners taking over your territory, with the promise the economy will rise through the roof.
Well, there is no roof in place–just a big empty space with nothing but hot air rising up from a lot of silver-tongued politicians, hoping to placate and please you, just enough to keep them in office by the skin of their "invisible" Pinocchio noses.
Many illegal immigrants resent being referred to as "illegal" immigrants, but they shouldn’t waste time worrying or sweating the small stuff, because soon it will be "politically incorrect" to refer to them as illegals.
Heck–before you know it . . . all of the legal citizens will reverse roles with you, and you will be the ones who are legal, and we’ll be the illegals.
Hey! ...that might not be such a bad idea–if we finally get free medical treatment too!
And that’s just my opinion!
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Kaye Grogan is a freelance writer who lives in Virginia. She writes, produces, and hosts a daily commentary called “Viewpoint” on her local radio station. She has written op-eds and articles for the Daily Republican newspaper. She also writes editorials for online newspapers and local papers. Kaye has many published poems, one published book, and has been featured in a popular woman’s national magazine. She is currently working on two books for children. Her hobbies include photography and she has won photo contests all over the world.
Comments: kayeg@adelphia.net
Normally, you don't reveal this much medical info about patients... right?
You still don't know who or where he is anyway. I'm not in violation of any HIPAA regulation, if that's what you're insinuating.
California taxpayers are sick of this. I see no reason to continue this idiotic practice because it only encourages more illegal aliens to come here for everything they can suck from the system. It may be harsh, but it's going to have to be done. Illegals like your example should only be accorded the minimal care actually required to enable transport to a Mexican hospital (helicopter transit would probably be far cheaper than the entire medical bill).
I would think these kinds of highly complex cases are relatively few, though horribly expensive. The real money problem would appear to be with the daily flood of illegals choking our ERs for routine medical care.
Just hang hospital signs on the prisons and the illegals will round themselves up, just close the door behind them.
Bumping your post!
Illegal aliens don't pay for in-patient and out-patient medical expenses. Therefore, I'm not paying for my parents medical expenses too, after Medicare pays them. Have thousands of dollars in bills and am not paying them an additional cent. Muck them all!!
George Bush doesn't want our borders patrolled. I've said for years that he won't be content until Americans are bankrupt, and our country taken over by Mexicans.
Sure, that particular aspect of the problem is tough. Once the illegal is already here, and in your hands, who is going to be the one to decide to stop the medical treatment? In real life, deciding to terminate the therapy is a little like playing Death (or playing God, take your pick). And no one wants to do that.
Those decisions have to be made, though. After all, why do we "owe" a criminal illegal (not being pejorative, just pointing out the reality in order to contrast it to the example coming up later in the sentence) healthcare, but not healthcare to a law-abiding Guatamalan who never came to the US? We simply cannot afford to be all things to all people worldwide, and we can't even afford to be all things to all citizens, let alone all things to criminals from beyond our borders. That's reality.
Just because a decision is hard to make doesn't mean that we can't make it. Just because we don't want to ration resources doesn't mean that we can't. We "just" have to come up with some impersonal mechanism for deciding who we can afford to take care of and who we can't. In the case of illegals, we are fortunate that such a mechanism already largely exists. We already have a bright line to differentiate between citizens and non-citizens (yes, I know that application of that "line" makes the line appear fuzzy, but the line is still there). Using the pre-existing mechanisms of citizenship and legal residence, it would be relatively emotionally easy to simply send every illegal back to his or her home to let his or her own country take care of him or her. No need for anyone to play Death; we can be relieved of our decisions by simply using a simple rule with no exceptions. I suppose another way to say this is that we can be relieved of the responsibility for thought in these cases, and that sometimes such a relief is a good thing.
Unfortunately getting a hospital in Mexico to accept such a patient is impossible. Nobody is more sick of this than us guys in the front line who bust our butts off taking care of these high acuity, high liability risk cases on a daily basis and not getting paid. But you know what, there are also millions more of uninsured Americans who show up very sick to the ER's and are receiving free care as well. Welcome to the ER, affectionately known as the dumping ground, but also the safety net of our American society. Until the law changes to where hospitals and healthcare providers can have some essence of sovereign immunity in taking Emergency Room calls, we will continue to practice CYA defensive medicine.
The problem goes beyond that, specialists are running away from hospital and resigning their clinical privileges because afterall, why the heck take unattached ER calls on uninsured patients, who are typically sicker because they have not had routine maintenance care, with higher acuity and hence higher liability risks, and not get paid for it? That is why surgeons and many other specialists are flocking to the outpatient surgical centers to perform elective cases on their paying/insured clienteles because hospitals typically require them to take unattached ER calls in order to have clinical privileges. Trying showing up to one of these surgeons or specialist clinic office and tell them you can't pay for the visit. They'll show you the front door out. Why? Because unlike ER's of hospitals they are not required by federal and state laws to provide medical screening and stabilization of patients who show up to their front doors. Hey, it's only capitalism at work in our healthcare industry.
The American people aren't the ones allowing this to happen it is our elected representatives. Write them and see the response (if you are lucky enough to get one) you get back...talk about the Texas Two Step. They are so isolated in DC they don't here the people. As far as republicans go they know regardless of how the rank and file feel about this they will do what they want because we have no where else to go. They know we will not vote democrat as they would be worse. So they have us where they want us.
Then leave them in Vicente Fox's driveway. This is not America's problem.
"...there are also millions more of uninsured Americans who show up very sick to the ER's and are receiving free care as well."
Americans are another matter altogether. From what people tell me here in SoCal, the number of Americans doing this are dwarfed by the flood of illegal aliens.
"Because unlike ER's of hospitals they [outpatient surgical centers and specialist clinic offices] are not required by federal and state laws to provide medical screening and stabilization of patients who show up to their front doors.
I suspect this problem would not be nearly so large and daunting once we completely remove the illegal alien component.
You mean to tell me that if millions marched on Washington demanding that our borders be sealed and that the asses of illegals already in the US be kicked out that the crooks in DC wouldn't listen ? Look at the Vietnam anti-war rallies ; civil rights marches of the 60's/70's ...These had a huge effect on government policy . Where are our collective balls ? Is everybody too busy / lazy ?
Just wanted to point out that you've already demonstrated one way in which this problem is being resolved by the market. Unreasonable laws, such as EMTALA, require all "emergency rooms" attached to "hospitals" to take all comers. Ok, then; the "emergency rooms" and "hospitals" are being closed (24 hospitals closed in California in 2004) and are being replaced by "surgi-centers" and the like. Health care is still being provided, but doctors are so desperate to change the name of the location that they practice, so they no longer fall under EMTALA, that they are willing to give up all the advantages of being in a "real" hospital. One way or another, illegal's aren't' going to get care. Either they will be sent to their home countries from the US hospitals, or the US hospitals will simply be closed. The only question is how much of the medical system will be destroyed in the process of creating a new system that isn't under the auspices of EMTLA.
Here in Texas we have a law that says an ambulance must stop at the first hospital unless that hospital is full and on "drive-by". Many of these people drive by Mexican hospitals to come for free health care in the US. So where does our duty begin?
One of our most costly diseases to come from Mexico is necrotizing fascitis. These patients require daily surgery of debridement and are usually on life support also or they have to be intubated daily. Daily trips to the OR are not cheap.
Most people seem to forget that Mexico has hospitals and doctors.
This Anchor Baby thing should be stopped. Our government has gone from being compassionate to being foolish.
"If" never got anything done...don't take that as a flip answer as it isn't intended to be. Sure get a million maybe two great news but where are you going to take your vote? Hillary? Kerry? My point was and remains republicans in DC don't care what the people in fly over country think because the alternative is a "progressive" government ran by the likes of Kennedy, Hillary, and the rest.
I have written to my two senators (Texas) one won't even answer and the other is the point man for Bush and his "it ain't really amnesty amnesty" legislation.
I think the George Bush is taking us on a straight path to socialized medicine. This cannot continue, as soon it won't be just 6 states needing the extra money.
Has it occurred to you that soon everyone who speaks Spanish will be able to get free health care. Many legals speak Spanish so it won't be hard for them to fake anything especially if they don't have insurance.
You are lucky. I didn't get either one to answer me. We did get a nice tax increase today. I think it was in the form of more sin taxes.
" where are you going to take your vote? "
To the toilet bowl and flush it ...The country is screwed I guess ...The third world takeover inexorably marches over the borders while the fat cats laugh at us behind our backs ...On the one hand Bush is suspposed to be saving us from the dreaded Islamic terrorists , and on the other is handing over the country to South America ! Huh ???
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