I saw an older woman get irate at the hospital as she got kicked out of the emergency room once. We had been waiting in line for treatment for hours while she was there. The hospital called the police on her. She threatened them by saying "I know Governor Sebelious". It didn't work...
It was pretty sad.

 

It is EXTREMELY sad. The EMTALA law was aimed at combatting this sort of thing, and it's better than nothing, but it doesn't provide a satisfactory solution to the problem. This is not health care, it's a band-aid. Literally, sometimes.

 

By the way, here's an article that provides some counterpoint to the over-the-top rhetoric of the right wing on health care. Provided in the interests of being fair and balanced.

http://www.alternet.org/politics/14...ve_made_in_the_health_care_battle?page=entire

 

As usual you do not cite the regulations and conditions which refute your argument that it is only a "band aid". The fact that this law exists is contrary to the claim that US citizens do not have access to health care.

Read the whole thing here:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/790053-overview

Key regulations and obligations are:

 

Tenguy doesn't have much real world experience with these laws. Not even from a second person point of view... He just digs up his information from questionable locations on the internet.

 

Questionable locations??? Are you serious?

As to my real world experience, I would venture that my experiences are one hell of a lot more varied than yours.

What is interesting iis that the 29 million Americans who are not covered by your health care bill, will use the existing laws AFTER it is passed, if it ever is.

You really need to start looking for information from places other than the liberal/socialist sources.

 

Tell me something, tenguy. Are you in favor of EMTALA? Because it is, in fact, a classic example of socialized medicine, in which the costs are borne by society as a whole, through higher costs for regular hospital care.

And if you ARE in favor of it, why wouldn't you be in favor of a program that provided more comprehensive, non-emergency care to indigents?

 

Yes I am in favor of EMTALA, in fact I would like to see it expanded to include more compulsory follow up treatment as needed.

However, you are mistaken, it is not socialized medicine, it is the opposite. EMTALA covers those who are in need of treatment, guaranteeing them the type of examination and stabilization without first having to prove financial responsibility. That being accomplished, then the further treatment can be arranged by the appropriate means.

It is the application of the doctors primary oath, in an organized way.

 

Uhhh, let's see...the government is mandating that health care be provided to people who cannot afford to pay for it...and it's being paid for through higher medical care costs for those who have a greater ability to pay.

Yes, I see your point.

 

Emergency Room treatment is a very poor substitute for universal health care. to begin with, and most obviously, it is not proactive. One only goes there when one has a serious problem. By then, it might be life threatening.

Also, if one has any source of income at all, one pays an exorbitant amount to cover for those who are indigent.

Once I fell, chipped two front teeth, and went to an emergency room. They did not do anything for my teeth. Instead they determined that I had not had a heart attack. That ought to have been obvious. I had walked four miles to the hospital. Because I did not have health insurance, I had to pay two thousand dollars for that visit.

 

6 years ago i had a work accident with a router blade, i sliced open 3 of my knuckles and chipping the bone in 2 of them. I took myself to the local small hospital and had umpteen needles and checks, then they put me in an ambulance and sent me on a 70 mile ride to the big city hospital for an operation. I spent 2 days there and it cost me nothing.
The benifits of socialized medicine

Though i did have to pay $5 a visit twice a week for 2 months for my physio to get the strength back in my hand.....but who's complaining

 

No you don't, you are twisting the point. Socialized medicine is government sponsored health care for all, this is only for the needy. Which I have been for from my first post on the issue.

Now when are you going to admit that?

 

Why didn't you have health insurance? And they charged you for rendering no services? And better yet, you paid? And here I thought you had claimed to be intelligent.

In almost every city there are dental care facilitiies for those who can not pay for the services, why did you not seek one of those?

And last point, a chipped tooth is not life threatening.

 

The company I worked for did not provide it. Now I pay for it out of my pocket.

 

more from the real life experiences

Yeah, I'm back. I can't seem to stay out of this thread.

Something happened that I have to relate to everyone. It sounds kind of odd, but it got me to thinking some random thoughts.

Last week I went in for another treatment. If you have never been to an oncology department, go, just to enlighten yourself. The room has a large screen TV, about 12 lounge chairs with about a dozen IV stands next to them. Usually the number of people there varies, but all are weak and pale and just looking for a little conversation to pass the time while chemicals we can't pronounce are dripped into our veins.

On my last trip, a guy a few chairs down from me began pegging the nurse with quotes about health care while she was unhooking his IV. As he realized he had her attention, my attention and the attention of one other person, he spoke a little louder. All astroturff quotes we has heard a 1000 times on any given TV ad or newspaper editorial. I could see in her face the nurse wanted the topic to change. But, bless her heart, she had to be kind and polite.

I didn't interrupt. I didn't ask who paid his bills. (I was raised better than that.) I didn't ask what he thought of his quality of care. I kept my mouth shut and left. I didn't want to meet him and he had nothing to say to me.

But it did give me some food for thought.

1. If you are unhappy with the treatment you recieve, rip the tubes and needles right out of your body. You would be amazed how easy that is. It hurts a lot less coming out than it does going in. I've done it myself. After the third time the nurse realized that having a tube in my throat wasn't worth the hassell.

2. Ever notice how all these town hall meetings are Democrats? They stand up try to give as much information as possible and get harrassed and shouted down. For some reason, the Republicans refuse to hold town hall meetings. Virginia Foxx held an unannounced phone conference where no one called in. (I'll take her word that no one opposed to her view called in.) She released a one sentence statement and it was done.

3. Does anyone have complete information about the health care benefits of our congressmen, represenatives and president? I do know they are exempt from Social Security. Most get treatment at Walter Reed hospital when needed. I also know that the benefits continue even after they leave office.

If you are sincere about the health care issue, call your elected represenatives and ask for the same package they get. If they can't offer that, offer them the same package you have. I wonder which they would choose?

4. If you are unhappy about the current political climate, be active in change. Ghandi was a peaceful protester and changed a nation.

If the majority of people in this country are afraid of a Socialist tidal wave ripping the land... rip up your Social Security card. Refuse to pay in. If your current employer won't oblige your request, start your own company. (We are capitalist, ain't we?) If you belive it is the right thing to do, DO IT! Use the money you save to buy insurance at any place you see fit and fund any retirement you deem adequate.

I have a friend that did just as I described. He owned a small business and ignored any Social Security regulations. He was eventually hauled into court, payed fines, penalties and some jail time but he was the first hammer to the anvil. If a majority of people follow his example, individuals would change the course of a mighty nation. Thye can't arrest everybody.

Feel free to dicuss and debate. I welcome unsual points of view. What I don't appreciate is someone reading a list written by others and swallowd whole as the truth.

 

You have your definition, I have mine. Medicare is socialized medicine, and it's only for the elderly. The point is, it's a government-sponsored transfer of wealth.

And I'm all for that. I just don't think the current system of providing only emergency room care is adequate. Not even close.

 

Medicare is not socialized medicine, by any definition. It is a government run health care insurance program, paid for by the collection of FICA paid by workers and employers. No public funds, i. e. taxes go into the program. No transfer of wealth (well almost none)

but nice try, typical liberal twist and spin.

 

It's usually the people that are the best spellers that are the least educated. I have a bachelor's in history and I fuck up my spelling all the time probably from the countless essays Ive had to write.

 

and I have ''spell check''