Hospitals are required to provide emergency services to any human that shows up at their emergency room. If they do not supply those services, the federal government will cut off all Medicare related payments. In effect this would close the doors of all but a few hospitals nationwide.
Hospitals don't have a choice, so don't act as if they do.
Federal law only applies to the ER not the rest of the hospital, and only to to point of stabilizing a person. And they do have choices. Just like any business that is losing money in a certain division they can cut back on costs. ERs can reduce the number of doctors and nurses on staff, thus going on drive-by status more often and creating longer waiting times for people abusing the system>
If I knew that I would have to wait six hours to see an ER doctor about my ear ache, I'd be sorely tempted to cough up the money to go to a doctor's office.
Again, look at your state, municipal and hospital districts for rules that are requiring hospitals to go beyond what the federal government requires.
One of his rulings:
"Cornyn's office said the only free or discounted services that could be provided to those who are in the country illegally are emergency-room care, immunizations and treatment for communicable diseases and child abuse. "
"Members of the Montgomery County Hospital District Board of Directors reluctantly cut health services to more than 400 illegal immigrants to comply with a ruling by Texas Attorney General John Cornyn. "
Source is Montgomery County News