Quote:
Originally posted by Cerek the Barbaric:
Even without insurance, hospitals still have to treat the patient.
. . . .
But when these same people come back to the ER for another visit, we have a mandatory obligation to see them and treat their injury or illness to the best of our ability.
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Yeah, I know. I dated a pediatrician's daughter in rural KY -- he had the same issue with indigent parents and their children.
However, hospitals do routinely file collections actions against those too poor to pay the hospital bill. A friend's wife had pregnancy complications shortly after he was out of law school (no insurance). The had a $10K bill pressing on their head for years. Imagine if he'd been a factory worker or burger-flipper instead of an attorney -- he'd still be under the thumb of the debt. Not to mention further debt for any other medical work needed. It's not the indigent who really suffer under this system, it's the "not quite poor enough" folks that make up the lower middle class.