N.Y. puts caps on hospital fees for poor

http://www.upi.com/HealthBusiness/view.php?StoryID=20060331-045526-8369r ^ | March 31

[King Moonracer]

Excellent. Work hard, buy insurance, have an accident, and get stuck behind some minimum wage pinhead in the emergency room with a bad headache trying to score some pain meds for a "nominal" payment. Of course, you're already behind half a dozen pregnant illegals, but I digress..

[goldstategop]

Idiots. This measure is going to force more hospitals and clinics to close their doors and the poor will still be left worse off.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[SmithL]

To each, according to his needs,

from each, according to his abilities.

[patton]

Maybe. But there is a real problem in this country, that if you present at the ER with insurance, you are well cared for, and your insurance pays x.

If you are uninsured, you are still well cared for, but you are billed 5x.

How is this just?

I don't know of another system where the poor are billed 5x as much for the same service.

[cgbg]

idiots

These are New Yorkers, the most brilliant people on the planet. They can't be idiots--they just can't!

:-)

[bill1952]

Welcome to NYCS. New York, Communist State.

I shudder to think that not only does Florida have waves of Canadians coming here for treatment, and I understand that very well, but next it will be New Yorkers coming here as more hospitals and clinics close there.

Maybe Pa & NJ will take up the slack.

[Mo1]

Gee .. nice way to shut down the hospitals due to bankruptcies

[bill1952]

If you present to the ER and are unable to pay, they cannot refuse you treatment.

[4U2OUI]

Way to shut down more hospitals...

"Legislators" should just pass a law that bans

inequality,poverty,bigotry,bad breath,bad hair,violence,dog turds,zits,PMS,Oprah,Rudeness,Bad Mannners,fast food that doesn't look anything like the picture on the menu,ugly people,hollywood,idiots,death,sickness,islam,global warming,trade deficits,elevator muzak,nagging spouses,faucets that drip drip drip drip,toilets that run,appliances that break,cars that burn gas,flatulence,old women who wear waaaaaaaaay too much perfume,cannibals,those annoying little insects known as gnats,HANGOVERS,any liquor other than Tequila,cottage cheese thighs,fake boobs,telemarketers,stale bread when all you wanted was a damn sandwich,sharpie markers in the hands of 4 year old boys,toilet paper that just either lacks tensile strength or absorbancy,insanity,sharp boogers that refuse to be picked out and cause discomfort for HOURS,overdraft fees,frat boys,"reality" tv,parking meters,kids who refuse to clean their rooms,HUUUUUUUUGE women in denim...

Then everything would be just peachy, courtesy of absolute government encroachment into EVERYTHING.

[bert]

Evidence?

Where's your evidence?

[Mo1]

Maybe Pa & NJ will take up the slack

PA is losing doctors because they can't afford the malpractice insurance they need

[FOG724]

The rules also prohibit New York hospitals from forcing the sale of a person's home to pay for medical bills and from using a collection agency if the person has filed for financial aid.

That is the key provision right there.

[FormerACLUmember]

LOL.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Oh boy! Price controls! Don't you just love it when politicians try to regulate supply and demand?

[FOG724]

Gee .. nice way to shut down the hospitals due to bankruptcies

Right now it is the people who are being treated that are going bankrupt. Medical bills are the leading cause in bankruptcies.

[goodnesswins]

The poor are NOT billed 5x as much.....if they cannot pay it, they will pay MUCH less....even my Accountant has only Catastrophic insurance, and negotiates for a lesser cost.

[Jim Noble]

So if the "poor" pay nothing, and the State pays next to nothing, and the Feds pay 20% below cost, where's all the money going to come from?

[FOG724]

Oh boy! Price controls!

No, just a fairness.

[durasell]

According to NY law, they cannot refuse treatment.