Why should a hospital be forced to treat those who cannot pay...

[cags]

if those who are treated shouldn't be forced to pay for their own insurance?

If it's unconstitutional to force people to pay for their care then it should be unconstitutional to force providers to treat those who won't pay.

Right?

I bet people who aren't on the Obamacare wagon would jump on if they thought they were going to lose their free ride in the emergency room.

[greymattermom]

1. exactly

Hospitals are businesses, and they will argue that they can't be force to accept customers who can't pay. Those without insurance will be forced to post bond before being treated. No 50K in home equity or in the bank, no treatment. The old system of charity hospitals will have to be recreated. T

[CBGLuthier]

3. Or we could have nationalized healthcare like every decent country on the planet

Pay more in taxes instead of bankrupting us all.

[crunch60]

15. Yes, Universal Health Care, and start taxing the Billionaires and

corporation's their fair share. Also any churches that have become involved in politics,like the Roman Catholic Church among many. The Vatican is a large corporation as are some of the Evangelical mega churches

[cags]

9. Exactly, to use their same argument could they force stores to give away free ice cream?

[CBGLuthier]

2. What fucking free ride are you talking about? I have been billed every

time I have ever gone to a ER. Hounded and had our tax returns garnished. Free ride my ass.

If you are poor in this country you may as well fucking die for all america cares.

[JustAnotherGen]

8. I agree

But I think (as the person who actually emailed Robert Reich to get the rallys for health care started) it's a good verbal tactic to use against the Right. You know -your cousin's uncle's brother twice removed you see once a year at Thanksgiving. . .

When you say: All or Nothing - You get nothing without cash - no back end billing because you might decide to not pay after your care . . .

The wingnuts lose their minds.


Me? Medicare for All. It's an extremely simple program to initiate/bring to market.

Our Account Billing Code is our SS #.
We have 5 - 6 plans top to pick from. Those who want 'cadillacs' can pay more.
We have employers who give the Fed the money when they collect our SS money.
You elect to have your employer withhold more if you want the caddy plan.
If you cannot afford to pay - jobless -like waaaaaaay too many Americans this day - you pay when you can (employed).
Those who don't make a ton of money can get a sliding fee - just as Planned Parenthood provided to many of us when we were young women and had little money.

[cags]

13. So how do they bill and garnish the returns of illegal immigrants?

[TheWraith]

4. Um, emergency room care isn't "free." They WILL bill you.

You may not be able to pay that bill, but they will bill you, and send it to a collection agency if you can't or don't pay. It's not "free" by any stretch of the imagination.

[orwell]

12. If they bill you and you don't pay who does? n/t

[JustAnotherGen]

5. You aren't off your rocker with this

As a human being - I AM my brothers/sisters keeper. I am. I can't help it.

As a person who thinks The Affordable Patient and Protection Act (we do a disservice to those who fought for this when we call it the Right Wing Wingnut Name - Obamacare) is a GOOD start on our way to Medicare for all . . .

I think it's brass tacks - but a good strategy.

I had this discussion at Thanksgiving last year with a few IndieTeaPublicans/Paulites who when I told them - "Fine. Don't get health insurance. But you better pony up 10, 15, 20K on a credit card or in cash before you get your broken leg examined, x-rayed, treat or no medical care for you!" -

Hey I was the big old Meanie Liberal.

[greymattermom]

16. exactly

That's what I think will happen. Cash in advance or go to Charity. If it exists.

[Enrique]

6. yes, I bet that's why Obama used to oppose mandates

he wanted to keep his free ride in the emergency room

[Bluerthanblue]

7. because we are human beings who should care about

each other more than the god almighty dollar?

Because we live in a society? Because it is the right thing to do? even if it costs everyone?

[cags]

10. I understand... my point is to make this point against republicans who are against the mandate

[Bluerthanblue]

11. ahh got ya-

i have a tendency to take people all too seriously.
sorry-

[K Gardner]

14. It's called EMTALA. Covered under the COBRA Omnibus Bill.

Passed by Congress in 1986. So it's illegal not to provide emergency treatment for any hospital who receives federal dollars.

That said, many ERs have implemented a non-emergency treatment rule that requires some type of payment up front, usually several hundred dollars, if you are a frequent flyer or are coming in as a Level 5 in triage.

However, if you ask me, I would like to see every Republican/Tea Partier who rails against health care legislation banned from entry into an ER unless they have insurance or payment up front. Because you have no idea how many people I have to treat for nonexistant ailments while listening to them rant about Obama and intrusion into the health care they're receiving, that they don't need, and have no intention of paying for.

[underpants]

17. From the Crusades Europeans learned about math, hygiene, and healthcare

hospitals used to just be a place that poor people (99.9%) went to die. Rich people died with poor people standing at their bedside.

It is from that that we (I am saying European type people) learned that we could take care of the sick and the weak. It was the massive failure of the medical community in the Civil War that lead to restrictions on abortion providers and also lead to the progressive movement being able to force those in power to actually start taking care of the sick and the weak.