What happens if you become ill or have an accident if you do not have health insurance in the USA?

Question

I'm not from the USA..So I hope you don't mind me asking.???
(If you can clear up some myths for me..please)


If you are uninsured..and have no money to pay for medical treatment?
Does that mean that...

1)If you were involved in a car accident (for example) they would refuse to treat you? Before you get in the Ambulance if have to show your credit card?????

2)For example if you had cancer..but NO money to pay for treatment....people would let you die..from something that is curable???

This can't be true ..can it??? It sounds barbaric???

How do the poor get heatlh care in the USA??

Answer 1

If you are brought to an emergency room in a hospital or any medical facility equipped to provide emergent care, a law called EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) requires the hopital or facility to provide you with any necessary emergency medical care, regardless of ability to pay. This also holds true if you are in active labor and come to an emergency room.
If you have cancer or some other chronic, debilitating illness, there are resources out there for people who cannot afford high-cost medical care, such as medicaid and medicare, as well as various charitable organizations.
Speaking of the poor, medicaid and medicare, though often underfunded in many states, is their insurance. Usually you need to apply for it, or a health facility will have a social worker help you apply for medicaid and/or medicare if you qualify and can establish need. People who are employed and work for a living pay into medicare and medicaid funds in order to help those less fortunate obtain medical treatment.
Many poor may also be veterans of wars, in which care, VA (Veterans Affairs) hospitals will treat them usually free of charge or at affordable rates even without insurance.

Answer 2

Most states' Medicaid will pay for emergency services for people visiting the US (or who are here illegally). In most states it is illegal for a hospital to turn you away without first being examined by a physician. After treatment you will get a bill, unless the state pays for it. Then it's basically like any other (expensive) debt except the hospital will probably assume you will not pay and so will work with you.

We do have a seriously flawed system here. It's a schizophrenic situation because about 100 million people get insurance through work or by themselves, another 100 million people are insured by the government (either through Medicare, Medicaid, the military, or federal employment), and the rest are uninsured.

It is really sad when you have the richest country in the world, with the most advanced healing capabilities, and the majority of its citizens are uninsured or underinsured. However, no, we don't have people dying in the streets here like much of the world might think. Like I mentioned above, the largest insurer in the states is the government.

Answer 3

Uninsured can get health care. They will just have a big bill to pay after ward. Emergency care is never refused. Most hospitals help the uninsured to make payment plans.
Also, hospitals charge lesser than they would charge an insured person.
Many uninsured also get medicaid help.

Answer 4

You can't be denied treatment, but it will cost you a s***load, and they do send your bills to collection quite fast. I had to have a mole removed and they screwed up so i had to pay for 2 biopsies ($300 a piece) and i was in college, very poor, no insurance, and that bill was in collections within six months. Bastards.

Answer 5

If you require emergency care, all hospitals MUST treat you. If you require other medical services, you can apply to the State and they will provide you with Medi-Cal -- you just have to show that you do not have the money to pay.

Answer 6

If it is life threatening they can not refuse to treat you. Once you are stable enough they will ship you to the nearest charity type hospital. if it is not life threatening they can turn you away if you have no money or insurance

Answer 7

by law, you can not be denied treatment if you don't have insurance,, however, you will not get the best of care,,