[Mamzelle]

re: 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?? )))

If you're talking about what Bush budgeted for uncompensated care for illegal aliens in the Medicare bill--that amounted to one billion dollars. LA County alone spends that much, in one year, for uncompensated emergency care for illegal aliens.

A billion is just a drop in the bucket when you start adding up the hospitals. It might cover three cities in the US.

[MoJo2001]

A billion is just a drop in the bucket when you start adding up the hospitals.

That's true if you consider the amount of money that is spent. However, that is a billion dollars that isn't our government's to spend.

A few years ago I went to look at all the countries that we give money to as well. It isn't just the illegals that we are wasting money on. We're wasting money on the Irish and most of the European countries as well. (That's not even defense spending.) I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but I'm all for being greedy and using that money to give back to American taxpayers. Allow us to be "generous" with the money if we choose to be.

[cosine]

In reality, no one has any idea of what anything in the hospital system really costs because hospital prices mean nothing as no one pays list and the prices that they do pay are secret.

You can thank the Medicare price controls for this state of affairs.

[JustAnotherSavage]

Thanks for that clarification. Do you suppose anyone in government even pays any attention to the news?