11 of 15 in San Diego burn unit are illegal aliens... up to $500,000 each for skin graft... who should pay?

Question

Of the 15 patients hospitalized in San Diego with burns from the wild fires 11 are illegal aliens. A hospital spokesman said the total cost, including skin grafts, could reach $500,000 for each patient.

Last year San Diego County spent nearly $70,000,000 treating illegal aliens. Shouldn't the government of Mexico pay for the treatment of these burn victims? So far Mexican officials have offered nothing more than "get well soon" wishes to the burn victims.

There's always somebody who needs "proof." Okay, here it is, deal with it.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20071031-9999-1n31burn.html

UCSD cases put focus on who pays for care

By Cheryl Clark and Leslie Berestein
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS

October 31, 2007

The fact that 11 of the 18 wildfire victims lying in UCSD Medical Center's burn unit are illegal immigrants with no apparent health coverage highlights the daunting financial challenge hospitals face in providing long-term, intensive care for all those who need it...

...According to the Mexican Consulate in San Diego, the burn victims are from central and southern Mexico, and include one woman. Four are in critical condition. All were rescued north of Tecate last week, said consulate spokesman Alberto Lozano, and it is suspected they had crossed the border illegally before coming face to face with the Harris fire.

(read the whole article at the link I provided)

Answer 1

As soon as they are stable enough to transport to Mexico then adios.

I think we should provide "emergency" medical care - but that does not include the billions we spend on illegals getting bones set, colds/flu treatments, neonatal care, etc at OUR expense. emergency care should only be what is needed to get them to the border and turned over to mexican hospitals.

We have enough poor people with inadequate medical care who are good, law abiding CITIZENS - why add more!


Edit to elements below: While you are surely a caring and kind person think about what you said. You feel empathy for a few burned people. There are millions of people in this world that are as bad or worse off. This country DOES NOT have the ability to pay for or care for anywhere close to all of them. So we must make choices as to who we should spend our few precious resources on. Personally I chose to spend that money on AMERICANS first. And our citizens are not getting that kind of care. Just go to any poor retirement home and I think you'd be ashamed that we are spending millions on these illegals while good, honest older citizens sit in their own waste and languish!

Answer 2

Here we go again, pointing the finger toward the people of Mexico. Lets get a number of other people that have no medical coverage that are part of that list. I agree someone other than the US tax payer should be paying the bills. Has all the concerned people of the US taken the time to visit their closest Social Security offices or hospitals to wittiness the amount of people that aren't older US tax payers, nor people from Mexico, looking for benefits from the US tax payers. You sound upset with the Mexican Officials offering nothing for their people, look at it this way, we are the grandparents to all the Mexican people, as well as anyone that want to come to the US. The American tax payer (people that work or have retired) have for the past 80 years, if not more, offered people all over the world to come to the US and we'll take care of you. We not only do that, we send supplies, money, etc. and support when they can't take care of themselves in these different countries, while people in the US that have worked hard and need alittle assistance can't get it or find it.
Lastly before you set upon a group of people that if our own government would have done the right thing many years ago, instead of listening to special interest and human rights groups to get votes, these problems would be minimal now.

Answer 3

I must be completely cold-hearted because I don't give a rip about the illegals here. If you got burned, shot, cut up, beat up, or anything else in a county in which you do not belong, tough titty. If I wen to Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, or any other country and I got hurt they would not take care of me. They would most likely not even give me a room in a hospital. I do not want to pay to keep them alive with my tax dollars because I didn't invite them here. They invited themselves in, and no one likes a person who invites themselves.

Answer 4

im meixcan, and i also think that the mexican govt. should pay UCSD for all the costs. i also heard that they might need up to a year in rehabilitation. UCSD is being very nice and i thank them for treating my people with respect. i also beliieve mexico should pay, becuse who else will? its the only option. it would be very wrong if mexico refused, after UCSD treats the affected immigrants with medicine and gives them their time and care.

Answer 5

Unbelievable...Another burden for us to bear..I don't understand..Look I am sorry they were injured, I do not wish that on anyone, but now that we know there illegal, once we patch them up and FOOT THE BILL as usual, WHY DON'T WE SHIP THEM BACK TO MEXICO?????????? I personally believe it is the responsibility of San Diego hospital to report them and follow through.

Answer 6

I know Crusado must be right - there has to be some other reason that hundreds of hospitals in borders states have shut down!

They should be sent to their home countries for care.

Answer 7

Well I do share most of the legitimate government issues relating to these illegal immigrants but one thing I know for sure is that no matter what your status is... if I saw you laying on a bed with burned skin all over and the only funding possible to help you was donations from people I will not hesitate one second to help pay for your burns.

Answer 8

I think their country of origin should pay for their hospital stays and their skin grafts...

Just send the bill to the government of their origin and state why you are billing them... because they are wards of their state, and not ours...

Or, put them all in stable situations and transport them back to their country's hospitals and let them deal with their own. If we have to deal with our sick, then should have to deal with theirs.

Answer 9

The illegals "should" pay for their own hospital bills just like us legals.

Answer 10

Curzado: We DO pay their bills their taxes and higher medical cost..that is proven.

We should bill Mexico-there is no reason not to.