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Illegal Aliens Drive Another Hospital To Closure

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Here's a nice article from the New York Times on the recent announcement by Northridge Hospital Medical Center that they will be closing by December 31.

This follows a recent announcement of the closure of the emergency room at Elastar Community Hospital in East Los Angeles.

Four other emergency rooms have closed in the county in the last two years. The reason given is the high cost of treating uninsured people. The article also states that 70 hospital emergency rooms and trauma centers have closed in California since 1990.

"We're mandated to treat anyone who comes in through those doors, regardless of their ability to pay," Tracey Veal, a spokeswoman for the Northridge hospital, said.

Ms. Veal estimated that the hospital had spent $13 million on so-called charity care in the fiscal year that ended on June 30.

While the New York Times does not exactly specify illegal aliens as the cause, it is quite obvious by these numbers.
"This is definitely cause for alarm," Carol Meyer, director of the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency, said on Friday in an interview.

Ms. Meyer said 30 percent of the nine million people in the county were underinsured or had no medical insurance at all. Statewide, seven million people are uninsured, according to the California Medical Association.

So, lets break these numbers down. 30% of 9 million is about 3.3 million people or nearly half of the 7 million in California that are uninsured, That's just in their county.

While everyones health insurance goes up to cover the uninsured, we get poorer and poorer service. If you pay your insurance on time for coverage for you or your family and there is an emergency you may just end up having to drive an extra 10-15 miles to get to an emergency room. Upon arriving you may be in line behind someone who doesn't pay, but expects the same services you receive.

Something has to be done of course. Illegal aliens receiving this free service should be number one on the list. Preventing illegals from being here in the first place is a law after all. Hospitals should be able to note whether someone is here illegally. The only way to tackle the issues is with full disclosure and good input data. If you don't know the breakdown of why someone is uninsured how can you fix the problem?

The county estimates the cost of providing them with health care is $340 million annually.

Here's a first hand account of the free ride illegals are receiving from Right Side of the Rainbow

The impending collapse of emergency health care

Earlier this year, I had a patient -- an illegal alien from Mexico -- who came to my institution after his discharge from an acute care hospital for treatment of a traumatic injury. Before that, he'd been in the custody of the Texas prison system, following his conviction for a violent offense.

I and my fellow Texans picked up the tab for his incarceration. But the cost of his acute care and subsequent rehabilitation was left uncompensated. I don't know the tally of his bill at the other institution; but at my facility, the average cost of care is $1800 a day. He was with us for 27 days.

Thanks to the diligent Michelle Malkin

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Posted by Digger on August 23, 2004 12:44 AM (Permalink)



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Comments

Quote: "While the New York Times does not exactly specify illegal aliens as the cause, it is quite obvious by these numbers."

Are unemployed people covered for medical?


Posted by: Tommy on August 23, 2004 05:11 PM


Medi-Cal is available. Most people in poor areas that are eligible for it will have it. Along with a bunch of other annoying welfare entitlements that entice them into staying poor, but I digress.

The ones uninsured are those who aren't eligible.

If you're unemployed in California and are here legally you can get Medi-Cal.


Posted by: Digger on August 24, 2004 04:56 AM


Hello,

I was born here in the SFV in the 1950s. I contributed to the system and paid my taxes while employed continually for 30 years or so.

I had some setbacks and was advised, much to my embarassment, to apply for medical care and food stamps. I am not qualified for Medical as a comment to the above article suggests I am. I'm not old enough, have no kids, and not disabled ( I was for three years after my unemployment but still was not qualified. )

Somehow, many people who may be illegal, i don't honestly know this as fact or fiction based upon the evidence that they don't speak English, easily are approved due to the children qualification. The system rewards those who have kids here despite the fact that they choose to do so knowing that they cannot provide good upbringing to the kids if they choose to have families. Those who are part of the working fabric that earns a living wage and are above the poverty level have no children or only one.

I don't believe a system that gives such rewards and then goes bankrupt on itself is a viable system. I hate to point a finger on the illegals, but now that I'm on the poor farm myself, I see who gets the benefits and who ends up picking up the tab.

Sad. I can make more money from GR than working minimum wage for 2 weeks a month. What kind of incentive is that? I just refused a job because I need those two weeks to find a living wage position. No one cares about my UCLA diploma when applying for Medi-Cal. It's something to hide instead of being proud of.

Moving to Canada is a dream like the El Norte dream. If illegals are filling the hospitals in my home, then I need to find another place where they havent gotten to yet, Enough, wish I could afford Pepto Bismol. If i had Medi-Cal i would!


Posted by: thoughtscribe on August 22, 2005 11:55 AM


Huh. If this article, and all the comments that follow are not perfect reasons why we should have universal healthcare, I do not know what is!


Posted by: KJAB on August 19, 2008 12:28 PM


No! In the first place people that are illegal should not be capable of getting free health care! HELLOOO they are still ILLEGAL!! We as citizens of the United States pay for health care or medical insurance. In other words the rules should be the same for all. They should be medically screened and if they are found to be illegal aliens then should be deported back home where they can receive medical attention from their own country! Them bombarding U.S. hospitals puts us as citizens under a huge burden. That ups our taxes because who do you think has to pay to reimburse closing hospitals? HELLLO AGAIN! The average U.S. citizen does! Why should we have to suffer from them? They use our emergency rooms and close down convenient hospitals. I'm not for them being allowed to walk all over our strong nation and government! In order to fix this huge problem we have to help out and come up with solutions on how to cut down the increasing percent of illegal aliens coming across the borders!


Posted by: EMAR on April 23, 2009 06:16 PM


Maybe if a million plus people just stopped paying taxes it would wake up this corrupt government that does not have the American people’s best interest in mind. The elections are near my friend.
If you defaulted on your mortgage and had your car repossessed, would you give yourself another loan? I didn’t think so. So why do we continue to give our money to these politicians (kids) to blow and put us in more debt. Their only concern is keeping power in the family and backing which ever business donated the most to their campaign.


Posted by: land of the ex-free on May 3, 2010 05:59 PM


thoughtscribe said : "The system rewards those who have kids here despite the fact that they choose to do so knowing that they cannot provide good upbringing to the kids if they choose to have families."

I agree with this statement. I can't understand how come these people get preference over educated rational people who have been paying taxes their entire life and contributing to the society.


Posted by: Get Your Ex Back on September 28, 2010 12:04 AM


I don't believe a system that gives such rewards and then goes bankrupt on itself is a viable system. I hate to point a finger on the illegals, but now that I'm on the poor farm myself, I see who gets the benefits and who ends up picking up the tab.


Posted by: ex back on August 31, 2011 02:01 AM


I think it's about time for a health care reform. The system that is in place now is just not functioning well.


Posted by: Stop Breaking Up on September 25, 2011 04:55 AM


Illegal aliens have always been a problem and this just shows another reason on how they effect all of us. A very good post that im glad you put up and i read.


Posted by: reverse cell phone lookup on November 22, 2011 09:50 PM


The most important concern remains for immigrants to ensure that a close eye be kept on the expiration date of their conditional green card and not let it expire before seeking legal assistance. To learn more about conditional green cards, visit the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services website at www.uscis.gov, for a general overview.


Posted by: cupcake recipes on December 5, 2011 11:38 AM


I actually got quite upset reading this and now understand how people could become prejudiced. With things like this happening, how can you not. Even though we can understand both sides its still upsetting.
Thanks for the post though, it was a great read.


Posted by: cell phone lookup on December 7, 2011 01:02 AM



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