Posted on 07/24/2006 9:10:55 AM PDT by LouAvul
From MSN:
Fortunately, a federal law passed in 1986 (Same year as the last immigration "reform". What a coincidence!) to prohibit a practice commonly known as "patient dumping" gives you the right to emergency care regardless of your ability to pay. The federal law applies to hospitals that participate in Medicare -- and that includes most hospitals in the United States. However, the patient-dumping law does not give you carte blanche.
What you're entitled to
In a nutshell, the federal patient-dumping law entitles you to three things: screening, emergency care and appropriate transfers. A hospital must provide "stabilizing care" for a patient with an emergency medical condition. The hospital must screen for the emergency and provide the care without inquiring about your ability to pay.
Hospitals cannot transfer patients until their condition has been stabilized. There are a couple of exceptions: if a patient requests to be transferred and is fully informed of the consequences of being moved, or if a physician feels that the medical benefits exceed the risk of the transfer.
For instance, if a hospital is not equipped to deal with a trauma case, the emergency room physician may transfer the patient to a hospital that has a trauma center. Patients themselves sometimes will want to go to another hospital, either because they prefer that hospital or because their doctor is there. If you ask to be transferred to another hospital before your condition is stable, you'll most likely have to sign a form to show you've given your informed consent.
What you're not entitled to
If you're not having an emergency, then the hospital emergency room does not have to treat you. The hospital most likely will direct you to your own doctor or to a less-intensive-care setting, such as a community health clinic.
The patient-dumping law was passed to make sure that people in distress get the necessary medical attention. The question of payment, however, is between you and your insurance company. If you don't have health insurance, then you still will have to make payment arrangements with the hospital.
Once your condition has stabilized, the hospital also has the option of moving you to another facility.
The Department of Health and Human Services says that the patient-dumping law also applies to HMOs that illegally demand pre-authorization for emergency room visits. Emergency room care cannot be delayed while a hospital tries to obtain pre-authorization.
State by state
Individual state regulations also have a bearing on the way you're treated in an emergency room, and upon your health insurer's decision to pay for that treatment.
The federal law allows you basic rights, and your state laws may provide you with some additional rights.
ping
ping
OOps, I forgot. If they are here illegally, the tax payer foots the bill so economic forces and personal responsibility (i.e. learning English) don't apply.
Here they are sitting on the solution to the burgeoning hoardes and they think it's a problem!!
There is no "a" in hordes, sorry.
I'm sure Reporter Abby Ross will be doing her best to enlighten the population of OK regarding the need to provide public services to citizens of other countries.
"Some patients in Tulsa area hospitals are saying they are not getting the help they need all because of a language barrier."
Boo-Freakin'-Hoo!
1. Learn English
OR
2. Go back to Mexico
One of the above will solve your problem.
They don't have to learn English because we're all so busy finding ways to communiticate with them instead of the reverse. We have to demand English, plain and simple.
Needs to be repeated.
Someone that speaks three languages is trilingual, someone that speaks two languages is bilingual and someone that speaks one language is an ignorant North American (fortunately this is not applicable to all). Europeans share many borders and speak multiple languages. When you travel around the world services are provided with the utmost care to you in the hopes that you feel good about the attention or service received. That is what I would call being professional and a true patriot. We benefit from other cultures, customs and languages. North America was founded by a conglomerate of cultures, customs and languages. Who is the true native american? Definitely not the majority of the current “US Citizens” at one point in time we were all immigrants and greatful that the USA let our grandparents/great grandparents etc. come to this land and start a new, prosperous future. That is what we have classified as the American Dream “from rags to riches” which is one of the cornerstones to our country and our economy. Without each one of those hard working immigrants that only wanted to provide for their children what they could not in their own country the USA would not be the world leader that it is today even with all of its flaws and political mistakes (local and foreign). I hope I don’t need to remind us that from the beginning of US history there has been one group that we have discriminated whether it was the Irish, Native Americans, African-Americans, Chinese, Japanese, etc. And now Latinos but we sure were adamant about shutting down Hitler and other world dictators that discriminated in their countries. Sometimes the thorn in someone else is smaller than the beam in one’s own eye??? Do we all not want a better world and peace amongst all countries? What kind of a future do we want to offer our children? Can biased bigotry lead to anything good? NO!! Coming back to the main topic “interpretation services in a hospital” this along with medical attention provided to anyone walking in the doors of the hospital. . .it would be great to have interpretation in all languages but I think a good starting point is the language that predominantly is needed besides English and that would be Spanish and as for the money dont worry there is enough for more hospitals, nurses and doctors and all of them paid extremely well dont you think? Hospitals in Utah for example have plaques posted on all walls informing patients that they have the right to request and recieve translation and interpretation services. For all medical staff or external residents that wish to participate in providing these services they have developed an intensive course to train and prepare them to provide these services. This is true customer service and these individuals are paid as they put forth time and effort to provide these services just as each of us does for our employers’. Should we expect anything less? What has the Red Cross championed for years??? Medical attention provided to all who need it in their native language!! I believe this is a serious medium to communicate opinions without belittling, discriminating or using derogatory names or terms when refering to children or foreigners. For your enlightenment immigrants that have entered into US speak English with exception of those that have just recently arrived or those that are senior citizens but this doesnt mean that when they have a medical emergency and nerves are high that they are able to understand all medical terminology or in the moment of crisis they are not able to communicate clearly that they understand like they could if they were able to in their native language. Of course all of them have several levels of English competency and believe me they are trying to communicate!! One more thing not all Latinos are Mexican and not all Latinos are illegal immigrants! Regardless of their legal status they are still human beings like you and me!! If we dare to call other countries third world countries then let us act like a first world country becoming part of globalization and not just when we want petroleum and other economic interests.
Should the hospital have someone waiting there who speaks Thuong Jang in case a Dinka immigrant comes in? Should they always have someone on duty who speaks isiZulu and the other 11 official languages spoken in South Africa too incase a South African immigrant comes in?
Are Alfredo and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce claiming they deserve better treatment than African immigrants? Or are they claiming Hispanics aren’t as smart as African, and other immigrants so we have to make special arrangements for them?
Pushing assimilation and English are political winners.
Tancredo like stewing is not.
“Formatting is your friend.”
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