Back in ‘03 I had to take one of my kids to the ER on a Friday afternoon. I went out to the waiting room around 6pm, and what had been an empty area was filled with dozens of people, none of whom spoke English. I concluded that these uninsured people waited until the end of their workweek to come to the hospital that was forced by law to treat them, rather than a doctor’s office visit during the week that might interfere with their work, and might cost them $$$.
I know what MY (and/or my insurance company) ER costs were. I think back then there was a base of $400 per ER visit. A doctor’s office base cost then would have been @ $50-75, but that would have come out of their own pockets. It was an appalling lesson.
Maybe the $16 M figure is based on $100 aspirin and q-tips.
Same here in NJ; many ERs are closing because of that (the requirement that they treat illegal invaders with no hope of getting paid). My town (which has been overrun by the illegal Bronze Horde) closed its ER/hospital years ago; there is still a medical facility there, but you can bet they’ll have your insurance information and payment arrangements before they even let you sit down in the waiting room.
Apparently if ObamaCare stays, the insurance companies close, while if it is repealed, the medical facilities taking the insurance companies’ money will close. Either way, both are beyond the financial reach of most Americans at this point...