Providing health care for illegal immigrants

[question everything]

The reality is that hospitals are not allowed to turn anyone away, and they are not allowed to inquire about the "status" of people seeking help. Unless these directive change - and I hope they don't - one can say that we do offer health care to illegal immigrants.

:hide:

[marmar]

1. What are "illegals"?

nt

[slackmaster]

2. The term generally refers to individuals who are in this country but lack proper credentials

Neither citizens nor aliens with valid visas. Immigration status-challenged people.

HTH

[question everything]

3. Individuals with no SS number who do not pay

income, SS and Medicare taxes and thus are not eligible to any of the welfare programs, including Medicaid.

[jaksavage]

4. Change word now to not.

[elocs]

6. Yes, that is a rather important word to have correct. n/t

[question everything]

8. Thanks! Makes a major difference (nt)

[arbusto_baboso]

5. It's called the Hippocratic Oath.

Hospitals have to treat everyone, yes. But with an undocumented alien, they will attempt to collect payment, even though the person will not be covered by any kind of insurance or government program, and even though no payment is likely to be forthcoming. (What are we gonna do, deport them? Gee, like they don't live with that threat every day...)

Nothing would change under Obama's proposals, which everyone with a brain (not Republicans, obviously) should know.

It's just one of those little things that you chalk up for "we're never going to have an absolutely perfect plan".

[lumberjack_jeff]

10. Doctors don't do it out of the goodness of their hearts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMTALA

[arbusto_baboso]

14. True. Too many forget about their oath.

[dugaresa]

7. Illegals, the folks that are used by small and big business, but have no rights

they are the perfect GOP worker

because:

1. they will work for a fraction of what US Citizens will work for
2. require no benefits
3. can be deported if they step out of line

So if Jose or Maria get hurt, according to the GOP they should be allowed to die because they are dispensable.

This formula has been used for over a century by the folks in the Grand Ole Party.

Just substitute Jose and Maria for Ivan and Irena, or Helmut and Helga.

[asdjrocky]

9. Stop using that FUCKING word!

You should know by now that no human being is "illegal".

[OllieLotte]

11. The phrase describes their immigration to the US.

Get a grip.

[asdjrocky]

12. Bullshit, you get a grip.

[OllieLotte]

16. Why is it that little, insignificant people like you...

use that kind of language with people they have never met in a forum like this? Is it because this is the only place you can hang out where you don't get that filthy mouth slapped or worse?

[asdjrocky]

19. Because you're ignorant.

Because you have no clue. Calling an entire group of people "illegal" is every bit as insulting as calling an African American the "N" word. See, the fact that you don't understand that and that makes you ignorant.

The original op didn't even contain the word immigrant, it only said, "illegals" which is a catch phrase for bigotry and I'm sick and tired of it. What is it about not liking bigotry that you don't seem to comprehend? I'm sorry you are such an ill-informed, small minded person. Sometimes when I get mad, I swear, so fucking what?

As far as my filthy mouth? You're at DU bucko, get used to it or you're going to get your tender feelings hurt a lot.

Have a nice day, and kisses to you.

[CKennedy16]

20. Oh FFS, illegals are exactly that. ILLEGAL.

If you want to live in the USA, get a SS and pay your taxes like all hard working Americans. Illegals are exactly that, illegals. I, for one, do not condone illegal activity. I'll leave that to the rethugs.

[asdjrocky]

21. You're an idiot.

Is that simple enough for you. Look up the word illegal in the dictionary and tell my how you use that as a noun.

God, you're stupid burns.

[anigbrowl]

23. Quite a lot of illegals do pay taxes

Those who use a fake SSN are abusing the system somewhat, but their payroll taxes are collected and can not be claimed back. Those who use an ITIN and pay income taxes are pulling their weight as much as any citizen and following the correct procedure for getting a tax ID (legally, you are required to have one if you stay in the US for longer than a certain period).

[anigbrowl]

22. I'm quite OK with it

It refers to the method of immigration rather than the person. I'm pro-amnesty and basically in favor of eventual open borders, by the way - I think the less immigration is restricted, the more it benefits the economies of both source and destination countries, not to mention making it easier to for people to speed up development and economic growth in their home country.

[treestar]

13. You're talking about the ER

The refuge for the uninsured. Nothing would change.

Just make it legal for them to come back and forth. Then they can go home for medical treatment. We could work out something when it comes to emergency care.

When they cross illegally, it is dangerous and expensive, so they don't do it but once.

And simple logic says they only do jobs for less money because they are illegal and under threat of deportation. That's why employers exploit them.

[sinkingfeeling]

15. Read here, Joe.

http://nilc.org/immspbs/health/costs-less-than-citz-2009-05-26.pdf



Undocumented immigrants have especially
low medical expenses compared to citizens.
Only 1.3% of all public medical expenditures
in the year 2000 went towards care for
undocumented immigrants.7

[question everything]

17. This is true

Some years ago there was an "expose" of hospitals in LA "dumping' patients. Most of them were homeless - veterans, drug addicts, mostly people of color.

Illegal immigrants come here to work and if they cannot find some, they go back.

I doubt that many end up as homeless on the streets, where they can be found by INS (or is it ICE?)

[KharmaTrain]

18. Simple Solution...

"Illegals" are here cause they are cheap labor. Their work almost always profits someone...a contractor, a meat packer, a corporate farm where the owners can skip paying taxes and benefits. For too long, the rushpublicans have used this stalking horse to play on racism against Hispanics while those who really benefit get little to no scrutiny.

My suggestion would be to enforce immigration laws that apply to businesses and stiffen them. If a company is busted for using illegal labor (not illegal aliens, but undocumented workers who aren't breaking the law, the business owner is) he/she/it should be fined say $3,000 per undocumented worker that would use used to reimburse costs to hospitals and government agencies that have to provide services. Wanna bet that would cut down on this problem. Another elephant in the room no one seems to want to look at.