Hospitals turn away ill, injured

Denver Post ^ | 29 June 2003 | Marsna Austin

[JackelopeBreeder]

This has to be one of the most frightening stories I've seen. Especially what goes unspoken.

I spent six years in the healthcare field myself. My father retired from the Mayo Clinics a few years ago. My grandfather was an Army surgeon.

We have three hospitals in my county; all three together would not equal one medium-sized hospital in Tucson or Phoenix. Two are on the edge of bankruptcy due to Federally mandated care for Mexican illegal aliens.

Two days from now, southern Arizona will have only one trauma center. The other will close its doors as it is no longer financially supportable.

Coming to your city soon, folks.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Ping!

[squidly]

What can you say? This is what happens when millions of people think they have a right to medical care, even when they don't have the money to pay for it.

Nobody has a right to medical care anymore than they have a right to food. Both things are necessary, I won't disagree with that, but neither is a right. They are both things you earn.

[Sabertooth]

Good. Shut it down. Let chaos reign.

Our politicians from both parties have been begging for this, so let's give it to them.

[ikka]

Is Martinez here legally, or not? This article doesn't seem to answer the question.

[Dont Mention the War]

Note how the Denver Post intentionally twisted this story to fit its agenda:

1) The second paragraph mentions Mr. Martinez entering Rose Medical Center.

2) The forth paragraph notes he was turned away - from Denver Health Medical Center and the University of Colorado Hospital, two completely different hospitals. Ninety percent of the people reading this article will not note this subtle distinction, and will think Mr. Martinez was turned away from Rose Medical Center.

3) Not until paragraph fifteen - long after the average reader will have abandoned the story; after all, they got "all they needed to know" from the first couple of paragaphs - is it even noted we're talking about separate medical institutions here.

4) Not until PARAGRAPH NUMBER THIRTY-FOUR is it pointed out that Mr. Martinez did eventually receive full treatment.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

My thoughts exactly.

[janetgreen]

Our politicians from both parties have been begging for this, so let's give it to them.

You're right, BOTH parties are guilty of pandering. I hope there's no federal bailout either, because the full truth of what illegal immigration is doing to America has to be heard loud and clear.

[Brian Allen]

<< Sounds like the health care system is now in crisis.

Just like Canada's. >>

Same cause, too.

Fascisocialist totalitarianism.

[Hitler was elected, too]

We shall either restore Our Republic or we shall perish from the Earth.

And all of the Judeo-Christian/Western [IE: "Human"] Civilization Our Beloved FRaternal Republic has long Vanguarded and will, please God, forever Guard with US.

[Rodney King]

Right, but it sounds like these hospitals are requiring either insurance or cash. Whatever happened to sending you a bill, working out some payment plan?

Uh, you really think the guy would pay if the hospital sent him a bill? The reality is that the hospitals know full well that the people who don't have the money to pay simply don't pay.

[cyborg]

I do not have insurance. I pay either cash, or work out a payment plan. I would never want to be refused treatment because I do not have insurance. When I was calling around for a dentist, the question is 'do you have insurance?' I always wonder why people ask that as if cash is not fine.

[goldstategop]

Its one thing not to have to pay for care to save someone in danger of dying but its an entire matter to force the taxpayers to foot the bill for every little headache and splint in the finger and what have you. And then there's the matter of illegal aliens getting free medical care, something even middle class Americans can't get. Even socialist Canada has laws requiring non residents without insurance to pay for medical treatment. We could cut the illegal alien flood here down to a trickle if every state and the federal government had such a law on the books. Think how hospitals and trauma centers would still be solvent and how many lives would be saved. As well as the taxpayers being able to keep more of what they earn.

[Thorondir]

You nailed it. My wife works in two of the hospitals here and tells me about the crushing burden of demanding illegals that is closing them down. My stinking, worthless probationers use the ERs all the time, because they know they will get free care (at my hard-working expense!).

This crap has got to stop.

[Thorondir]

Man, don't you ever sleep?

(You're as bad as I.)

[ARepublicanForAllReasons]

Hitler was elected, too

Excuse me if I politely point out that Hitler was never elected to any public office.
He was appointed Chancellor of Germany by then-President Hindenberg.
Thinking that Hitler won the support of a majority of Germans is a common historical error. Also, the Nazi Party never won a majority of seats in the Bundestag (German parliament). They gained a large plurality, then bullied their way to absolute power by purging, first the Communists, then the socialists and moderates, out of the Bundestag. Then, with Nazis and their allies firmly in control of the legislature, and with Hitler as Chancellor, the way was paved for absolute power.

[DoughtyOne]

I read about the first four paragraphs of this and realized they weren't going to mention that Martinez was an illegal alien. Perhaps they did later on, but I have no time for these reports.

The media is complicit in screwing the US public big time. They do their best to make it sound like these people are inhuman. NO THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM AT ALL.

Folks, I don't care what type of service you provide, you simply can't continue to do it without reimbursement.

These hospitals have to staff the facility, purchase supplies, pay the utilities, keep the latest equipment, file the paperwork and do all those things that cost money. They simply cannot give service for free. If we were talking onesies twosies, perhaps. What we're talking about is an E.R. full of illegals. And you just can't continue to do this for free.

Frankly I think all hospitals in the nation should simply refuse to admitt any patients at any E.R. until the federal government gets off it's ass and closes the borders, and returns all illegals to the nation of their origion. Otherwise we're not going to have ANY health care left in this nation.

[Skywalk]

Another nite-owler here.

I know I'm going to get flamed off this thread, but I say cut off all federal funding for hospitals. Have hospitals always been funded by the feds? I doubt it. In all honesty, I'd cut off State funding too. Who knows what kind of distorting pressures government intervention cause.

I remember reading years ago about how federal funding was being misused, often buying new wings or MRI machines that were unnecessary for that particular hospital's operational requirements.

Besides ending the crush that illegal aliens cause, the next step would be to loosen the medical cartel in this country. While I'd agree with anyone who wanted to insure that neurosurgeons and other specialists met high standards, I don't think many GPs need to go through the same process that doctors follow. Nor do other fields like pediatrics and psychiatry.

Perhaps if they opened up the field a bit more, they would not have to run interns and residents ragged. Also, it's clear they only allow for limited entrants nationwide, so as to limit the labor pool and increase their salaries.

Also, if a doctor feels so strongly about their oath, why not just treat a patient for free if it's that damn important to you? No one has a RIGHT to the service of doctors or nurses, but why do we expect that doctors MUST make large sums of money. For the thoracic surgeon, fine and dandy. But for lots of doctors who are little more than administrators and leave their work to the nurses, why should they get paid big time?

Basically, I say let's open up the industry, cut out intervention and allow natural market forces to develop, and change mandatory guidelines to enable an array of medical services to flourish and push down overall costs.