People complain about Immigrants draining our health care?

Question

But my father is a Doctor, employs 4 people full time and has helped thousands of patients over the years, tell me again how is that a drain?

I'm just as against illegals as everyone else, I'm asking the trolls who are anti immigration period.

Answer 1

Several members of my family are in medicine, they all say the same thing, our healthcare system is in serious trouble. Burdened by increasing numbers of people who think health care is free for the asking, hospitals and clinics closing on a daily basis, practitioners insurance absolutely out of control, (a surgeon can now pay $60-80,000 a year,) lawyers actually advertising on TV for malpractice clients, the torrent of aging boomers which is about to become a flood, fraud among crooked doctors on the increase, costs for uninsured patients at bankruptcy levels. (half million dollar bills are not uncommon now)
And the monstrosity of socialized medicine looming only makes the situation worse. Consider the case of Tennessee, who developed what should have been a model program of universal healthcare with it's "Tenncare" system. In less than ten years it bloated to the point of nearly bankrupting the entire state treasury, so much so they had to abandon the concept. And to a person all healthcare professionals said the same thing. Abuse-abuse-abuse, mostly by the low income sector, the very ones it was intended to help! It became common for example for single mothers to bring in several children on a regular basis claiming various ailments requiring pain medication, and the doctors had little choice in treating them, turning them away brought scores of lawsuits that cost their taxpayers even more! Tennessee became in short order the number one supplier of narcotic painkillers in America. This is not a fantasy, I've read the accounts, they're astounding! And I'm certainly not prepared to say Tennesseeans are any worse than the rest of us, are you? If You've got any answers the profession wants to talk to you!

Answer 2

I am not anti-immigration. I am anti-illegal immigrant. I work as security in a hospital. I also speak some Spanish.

I have translated some for these emergency room patients.

Many do not have ID's, insurance cards, etc. They get treatment as anyone else would. It is even explained on posters in the Emergency room in Spanish that they will not be discriminated against for any reason and if they do not have insurance they will still be treated.

Many pay nothing. The most expensive treatment a person will get is from an emergency room. It is not only Illegals getting free treatment. May low income families get free treatment. The ones without insurance show up just after Doctors offices close for the day. The non English speaking illegals are more patient that English speaking citizens. Many wonder why they are not taken into the ER immediately. They do not understand triage as your father would. If a patient does not come in by ambulance and if it is late evening to early morning, I would guess that 40 percent have no insurance.

And you have to ask why this hurts or drains the system. Show your father my response and he can tell you how much this can cost a hospital in fees.

Answer 3

Angela, your wrong, THe reason why helath care cost seems to be skyrocketing is that we can't outsource our medical staff as we did with every other industry. Health care cost is actually escalating at the real rate of inflation. The problem is due to outsourcing our work to CHina and hiring illegal immigrants, and legal to some extent, employers are able to leverage the American workers to accept a lower pay (Adjusted for inflation).

As to other people experience in a hospital, not all hospital suffer the illegal immigrant problem equally. The hospitals I work had very liitle to no problem with tehm, but I worked for the Veterans Administration and a Hospital in a very wealthy part of town. We did lose some money to the homeless though. Also remember, THere is a difference between Trauma center and a regular ER. The Trauma centers probably lose more money through unpaid bill and part of it is from illegal immigrants. How much is disputed though. Illegal immigrants tend to see docors on only extreme cases and so the Trauma centers take an unfair brunt from this. That is why Southern California lost a huge part of it's Trauma center network.


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http://www.csulb.edu/~hlthconf/Article%206.html
here's an old article, but it's from a far more reliable source. Alot of laws has changed and alot happen since. I think LA county health went bankrupt right after this. It does say we do lose money to illegalimmigrants adn they do use it far non-emergency care in the ER, but they admit the number is unknown, since it is illegal for us to ask their legal status.

Answer 4

Angela r-You are absolutely correct. All those illegal aliens health insurance is bleeding the system dry.

I suppose it is absolutely impossible for the hospitals to be charging for Kleenex in an attempt to recoup what little it can from what it loses from the care it administers for free to illegal aliens. Which in turn is passed along to the customer via the insurance companies. And folks wonder why health care premiums have skyrocketed.

Angela r-Social Security has absolutely nothing to do with health care. In case you didn't know you redeem Social Security once you retire.

No Angela R it's not that simple. Greed has very little to do with it. When an illegal alien uses health services provided by a hospital and they don't pay for those services the hospital either has to take the hit or recoup them in some way. Charging for Kleenex is one. Some hospitals carry insurance that pays them back for non-payment of patients they treat. Most hospitals can no longer afford this type of insurance, as each year it climbs as the insurance companies who used to insure this are going broke, forcing the hospital to close. The insurance companies that used to provide this coverage no longer will due to the flood of illegal aliens taking advantage of hospital care. Open your local phonebook and call up any hospital. Take the time to speak with any hospital administrator at any hospital. Trust me they would be happy to tell you why they are so broke. Again NOBODY is entitled to free health care simply because they pay into Social Security. Social Security DOES NOT PAY for health care. Where you got that idea I certainly haven't a clue.

See ya!

Answer 5

I haven't heard anyone complaining about immigrants draining our health care. ILLEGAL immigrants, yes. Is it wrong to complain about that? I don't think so. If they are here illegally, they don't deserve the health care that is meant for legal Americans. They are cheating us..And we cannot afford to care for their every need and want.

Answer 6

The ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS do this. They get free medical because they keep having babies and if they aren't pregnant they use the ERs as a doctor's office. When they don't pay their bill it's ok, the city and state eat the cost. When I don't pay my bill I get hounded. I have been unemployed since August because I can't find a job American's won't do. Apparently the illegals have stolen everyone's identities and gotten them all.

Answer 7

Its not draining doctors. He is going to get his money no matter what. They are draining the poor folks like me and other blue collars who work regular jobs. Doctors and Lawyers dont count. I have never seen a poor doctor.

Answer 8

what is your point? immigrants are not all illegals and no one says immigrants drain our health care-the illegals drain everything.

Answer 9

My brother in law in an ER doc and he has a different story in regards to illegals, and one of my best friends is a CEO Administrator and he also tells a different story.

Answer 10

I don't think there is anyone that is anti-immagration...everyone is against illegal immagration...its illegal...they are criminals...and they are using the welfare system that our taxes pay for....americans do not want their tax money to go to criminals from other countries...these services are there for our brothers and sisters when they get down...not a criminal...your father is not a doctor...im calling your bluff...