West Coast Connection Forum
Lifestyle => Train of Thought => Topic started by: Trauma-san on July 21, 2003, 12:36:21 AM
-
Alright, I was talking with Unstoppable force on the other thread, and here's yet ANOTHER misunderstood fact about america.
People like to complain that america doesn't have free health care... why is this? What are you talking about? America is the greatest country on earth, we don't need free health care.
Just kidding. Maybe.
Anyways, has anyone heard of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, which was put into effect in 1986? It basically states that no hospital that accepts Medicaid (virtually every u.s. hospital) can refuse to accept and treat patients, regardless of whether or not they can afford or pay for the service.
I mentioned this, because my mom has been going to the hospital with my brothers and I since I was an infant, and has never paid a dime for anything besides prescriptions.
She recently had colon surgery for colon cancer, the total bill was almost 200,000 dollars, and she didn't pay a penny. The whole bill was written off, lol.
People keep coming with these stories that their neighbors and family and stuff can't go to the doctor, YES YOU CAN. I guess people just don't know about it.
The act states
"Any individual who comes to a hospital requesting an examination or treatment for a medical condition must receive an appropriate medical screening examination within the capability of the hospital's Emergency Department."
http://www.bipc.com/articles-a-e/emtala.htm
Check it out, it should eradicate yet another complaint about america. If you get sick, go to the doctor for Christ's sake, nobody's going to make you pay thousands of dollars if you can't afford it.
Peace~
-
Emergency treatment, I'll give you. I'm going to be honest, I never had to use it, so I don't know first hand. But in terms of medications, and other treatments, some people can't afford that, and medicare would proved. My grandmother cannot affort some of her medication that she needs. Her Medicare doesn't prove that anymore. Bush cut a lot of what was paid for, because now it is better to have choices. But my grandmother is a poor women who raised 5 girls on her own, and does not own her own house or anything. She needs some help paying for that stuff, and for my grandmother I would like to have her in better care. It's little stuff that gets over looked that is the most costly. Paying for monthly bills should not be a worry for a woman that has spend her life stuggling. I do believe this is the greatest nation, it's time to take it up some steps. We are privilage, lets allow others to feel it too.
-
If she needs the medicine, and can't afford it, that's an emergency, right? She should take advantage of these laws and programs, there's really no excuse for not being able to afford these things. Also, are you helping her buy them? Or are you going to let her die? Of course not, you're going to help her, and you should, It's not MY place to help your grandma. I'm mr. taxpayer. I don't know your grandma. I have my own grandma. If my grandma, or my mom, that I mentioned doesn't get her prescriptions paid for, needs prescription money, guess what? I'm going to take care of it for her. You should do the same for your grandma, and not ask me to do it for you, which is exactly what you just did when you suggest that government provide for this.
Peace~
-
LOL... you were talking to Batman..... all I said was "very interesting info"....
-
Oh, sorry, lol.
-
If my grandma did not have a family. If she was poor, and her family left her. What now. You see, it's not an emergency. At least not by law. And she did have her medication paid for her at onetime. Now it's not that way anymore. And she is not alone. You are Mr. Tax Payer, well guess what homie, I am too. I work, and go to college, and guess what, pay taxes too. And I would feel great if my money would go to the old lady who needs medication, or the kid that need surgery but parents can't affort it. I like my tax dollars paying for schools, roads, college financal aid (I thank every tax payer for helping me with my college) military and yes, even the president's salary. Cutting my taxes, cool, I'm poor and I need the money. But I say make my taxes worth it, and give an old lady her medication for Christ sakes. I pay to live in a great country, it's worth it if my money goes to things that allow my nation to stay great, and if life, liberty and happiness are achived. Many life and liberty though, some people you can never make happy... lol ;D
-
Cry me a river, lol. Why don't we make a new law, then... if you're an old lady who can't afford your prescription, then the government will pay for it, but only if you don't have any family.
It's just like this, man. America was founded to protect us, and deliver our mail. Not to pay our bills. We MOVED to america, largely to avoid the high taxes the kings were imposing on us in Europe.
Now, we're back where we started. High taxes. We can't live our own lives, because the government wants control of everything we do.
Do you want the government controlling whether or not your grandma dies? Where's your pride, don't you WANT to take care of your grandma? I don't want the governemt paying for my mom's prescription drugs, I'll handle it. That way, I know it gets taken care of.
I think we should take care of our own families, it's none of the government's business. I don't mind paying a small tax to help those in need, but look who's getting the benefits. You want your grandma to get the benefits, when you're fully capable of providing them. If you can provide them, then why should I? That's being stingy. Likewise, I don't expect you to pay for my mom's prescripion, you've got your own grandma to worry about.
See the point? You want the government to get bigger, and have an even bigger part in our lives, i want it to get smaller, let me keep my money, and I won't rely on the government's help so much. I want to be independent, I don't want the government to have to help me do everything in life, I want to do it myself. I want to provide for my family, I don't want the government to subsidize us.
If it was up to a SOCIALIST government, we would all live in government houses, go to government jobs, eat government food, blah blah blah... is that REALLY what you want? Hell no, i know you even though I don't know you. You want to be independent too.
-
LOL... you argue with me like I'm your "typical un-patrotic" libral. You know better Trauma. I'm saying is not everything Socialist. That's to far, we are a capitalist society. But I feel that in fact we owe people the rigths to live. Life, Liberty, and the persuit of happiness. Well, you can be whatever you want in the U.S., and own land. We have liberies beyond any other nation in the world. Why not feel in with this life thing too. Besides, you said come from Europe to escape taxes, some of us were already, and had taxes put on us anyways. So relax, I'm not saying total socialism, I know the difference. But I am a strong believer in free health care. Health, schooling, and protection, isn't it that basic, oh, and social secerty. Not much I'm asking for, after that, who knows, I might become Republican to fight of the other librals asking for too much. I'm asking for Health Care. Not the return of welfare and all that other shit we pay for.
-
^ Come to england then! :)
I'm not sure on the ins and outs of the US system, but I know this girl who was a bicycle courier in san francisco and she's totally screwed up now because she got knocked off her bike and because it fucked her knee she cant work and now has massive medical bills and now resulting legal problems from that because its on her credit card. :/
From what she told me I thought this kind of situation was common over there. (She used to live in the Uk btw.. and even though she was born and raised over there she did live in the UK for 5/6 years in her teens.. she's very critical of the US now.. and more so of the UK actually because she see's it being 'spoiled' in her eye by americanisation)
-
^ Come to england then! :)
Nah... no need to go to England... 'cause I actually someday hope, maybe, though the grace of God, to run for office here, and help out the Democratic party and make them a way better party than what they are. Sorry Overseer, but I think I can help out in many aspects of the United States government. Ya' know, cut some things we have that spends too much money, like research on some dump things, and improve on others, like free health care for everyone, though privite will always be better, it could help out in cases like your friends. Ya' know. The U.S. is great, I would just like to help out in somethings and make it better. :D
-
we have private health care here too btw... like i've got private health cover thru work.
luckily i've never had to go through the ins and outs of it all.
-
*sigh, O, tell your friend who got hit, that she needs to go to the hospital, she can go for FREE, I know what I'm talking about, My mom did it, and has done it since I was a kid! People, I just gave you the fucking reference, all these sob stories about people getting hurt and not affording medical bills are bullshit!
-
wow calm the fuck down.
1) its not bullshit
2) its a bit late, she's already been treated and dragged through the courts for non payment of the bills
so obviously theres some deficiency in the system over there if people think they have to pay or whatever? or maybe it only covers certain things?
-
Did you look at the bill? I posted it, if you have an emergency, it's freeeeeee, they can't make you pay. Simple as that, maybe she's ignorant of the laws? All you have to do is say you can't pay. Simple as that, like I said, it happens all the time, unless she did it before 1968. People always try to tell me you can't do it, but my mom has, simple as that.
-
well she must have been deep into this i mean she had to pay for respresntation and shit ya know? someone would have said something...
and she aint no kid.. she was about 30 when this happened. (bout 2/3 years ago)
maybe your not covered if it happens at work or something?
-
Health Care is free up here in Canada
-
Health Care is free over here in Britain
-
Health Care is free over here in Britain
what about those waiting lists? ;)
-
well she must have been deep into this i mean she had to pay for respresntation and shit ya know? someone would have said something...
and she aint no kid.. she was about 30 when this happened. (bout 2/3 years ago)
maybe your not covered if it happens at work or something?
just for my own info
where did she go after she got hit....i mean RIGHT after she got hit
-
Just read the bill, guys, it doesn't matter if you're at work, or what, or even if you're at fault. You can shoot yourself in the head while your boss is asking you to clean the bathroom, and they'd still cover you.
The law simply says if you go to the hospital, for an emergency (which is identified in the bill as anything that needs immediate attention), you are covered, they cannot turn you away.
The reason they brought this law about was, of course, that it was a problem. It's STILL a problem, but it's an illegal problem.
Your friend, O, probably got transferred to a private doctor, or had some specialist treat her at her request. If she would have choosen from the specialists and doctors at the hospital she was admitted at, she wouldn't have had to pay a dime. The bill also states that patients with no money have to receive the SAME treatment as everyone else.
The next time an american has to go to the emergency room (god forbid you do) look around on the walls, they even have it posted in the waiting room.
-
well she must have been deep into this i mean she had to pay for respresntation and shit ya know? someone would have said something...
and she aint no kid.. she was about 30 when this happened. (bout 2/3 years ago)
maybe your not covered if it happens at work or something?
just for my own info
where did she go after she got hit....i mean RIGHT after she got hit
i got no idea :)
i've spoke to her a lot around the time she was being dragged through the courts by the credit people because she couldnt affod the bills
-
aright^ fair enough
cuz most americans i know including myself woulda just went down to KMC or Memorial Hospital (public hospitals) to the emergency room and do what trauma said.
hell my cousin got hit by a damn bus (lol) broke his BACK! and we just went to the emergency room , and it was nothing like your friend's ordeal.
from what i can gather from your friend is she got into an accident and went to a private doctor and had too much pride or was just ignorant to get what could've been offered to her
-
i dont think she could 'go' anywhere...
say if someone calls a ambulance where would she get taken? whereevers closest? - public or private?
thing is.. she was majorly pissed off about having to pay in the first place..
-
If you call an ambulance, they take you to the nearest public hospital. Every public hospital in america takes medicaid, so every public hospital in america has this same policy. She had to have gone, at her request, to a private doctor, that's the only explanation. Maybe they took her to a public hospital, and like Corleone said she wanted a diff. doctor and had herself transferred to a private doctor. Ask anyyybody that doesn't have money in america, all us poor folks know about it, lol
-
I'll put this in the category of 'fuck knows' (tm) ;D
-
lol, yup who knows