Patients are spilling out of Parkland

The Dallas Morning News ^ | Wednesday, December 29, 2004 | Sherry Jacobson

[TLI]

Patients are spilling out of Parkland

Private hospitals shoulder half of indigent burden, study says

09:40 PM CST on Wednesday, December 29, 2004

By SHERRY JACOBSON / The Dallas Morning News

Patients seem to be spilling out of the overcrowded public health system in Dallas County into private hospitals, where officials say they are treating more poor and uninsured people in emergency rooms.

A recent study financed by the Dallas County Commissioners Court estimated that 10 local hospitals, including Baylor University Medical Center, Presbyterian Hospital and Methodist Medical Center, had to foot the bill for $285 million worth of uncompensated care for indigent and uninsured patients in 2003. Dallas County taxpayers spent an additional $311 million to care for nonpaying patients who were treated at Parkland Memorial Hospital.

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E-mail sjacobson@dallasnews.com

[Wolfie]

Hey, health care can be free! Who knew?

[TLI]

The entire article is about 2 - 3 full columns, the phrase illegal alien is not to be found, only "growing hispanic population."

[TLI]

ping

[mtbopfuyn]

...the phrase illegal alien is not to be found, only "growing hispanic population."

That was my first thought, too. Ok, I'll play along, how many of the "growing hispanic population" which they treated were illegal?

[TLI]

The closest they would come to a number was over half...

[TLI]

ping

[stopem]

" Dallas County taxpayers spent an additional $311 million to care for nonpaying patients who were treated at Parkland Memorial Hospital."

Our home is in Denton county and part of Dallas county so we are double taxed. And people wonder why we are tired of paying for illegal insurgents and want them all deported?

Wonderful that we are working to pay for others to take advantage of the system.

Deport illegals! Much is said about Gov Scwarzy yet no one has looked into Perry's record, what has he done for Texans lately?? And Mayor Laura? lets not go there ;)

[stopem]

That should actually read: Illegal AND legal hispanics that get free healthcare amongst other free stuff we taxpayers pay for.

[cosine]

I suppose that none of these hospitals were getting disproportionate share payments, the payments that the feds give states to dole out to hospitals treating indigents so that they don't lose money under the law requiring that they treat people at ER doors??

[mtbopfuyn]

My guess would be waaaay over half.

[tahiti]

"...the payments that the feds give states to dole out to hospitals treating indigents so that they don't lose money under the law requiring that they treat people at ER doors??"

Amendment V

nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.

The Constitution requires our federal government to compensate hospitals if there is a law requiring the hospitals to treat anyone, regardless of ability to pay.

The good news is that in this rare case the Constitution is being respected.

The bad news is we citizens are stupid for electing legislator's who have enacted such irresponsible public policy laws.

[eccentric]

Where are the thousands dying because they can't get health care?

[Condor51]

That should actually read: Illegal AND legal Hispanics that get free health care amongst other free stuff we taxpayers pay for.

Hey! Don't you understand? Why they're only taking advantage of the FREE MEDICAL care and other FREE STUFF that "Americans refuse to take advantage of".

Now pony up with your money and hush!

You know I'm kidding, right?

[stopem]

LOL! Love that tongue in cheek humor.

[HiJinx]

Call me a cynic, but...

Congress appropriated much more money this year than any previous year (through the Medicare Reform Bill) targeted specifically at 'border' hospitals to defray the cost of providing health care to illegals. Each state was to receive a portion, further broken down by county, for their medical facilities.

Your slice of the pie is based on the number of non-paying patients you treat and the estimated loss incurred by your facility. In order to arrive at those numbers, you need to do a study of case load and unpaid billed services...which leads to the information we read in this article.

What's going on, here? /sarcasm

[Happy2BMe]

So why was it again we came down so hard on Hillary for her socialized medical programs?

[television is just wrong]

I used to see signs in doctors offices, I don't see any more,"Payment is expected when services are rendered". Haven't seen that siagn in years.

All people seeking help should be expected to pay. When I was new out of my parents house with only $200. to my name, I was still expected to pay. Yet, somehow we keep feeling sorry for people because of their skin color.

[B4Ranch]

Call you a cynic?

Never, you are a realist. Large difference between the two. A realist has the experience and can recogize facts. A cynic works on their emotions.

[SAMWolf]

Bump