Time to ration health care for illegal aliens
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Big Nanny Democrats want to ration health care for everyone in America – except those who break our immigration laws.
The latest cry for help comes from Nevada’s University Medical Center, via the Las Vegas Review Journal:
“Our people are really torn,” said Brian Brannman, UMC’s chief operating officer. “We want to take care of people who are ill. We’re proud that we can save lives. But our employees are also worried about the survival of UMC. They know that the appetite of taxpayers for helping undocumented immigrants is limited.”
Since April, UMC has been spending about $2 million per month providing emergency dialysis services to 80 illegal immigrants, Brannman said.
He projects that these services at UMC could run more than $24 million in the current fiscal year.
In each of the five prior years, the hospital provided the same emergency services to half as many illegal immigrants for a little more than $1 million per month.
Brannman said the hospital receives no reimbursement from federal, state or local sources to provide this life-saving treatment for people who have entered the country illegally.
But under federal law, any patient who shows up at an emergency department requesting an examination or treatment for a medical condition must be given an appropriate medical screening to determine whether there is an emergency. If there is, treatment must be provided.
“When we’re projecting a budget deficit of $70 million for fiscal year 2010, you can see that $24 million in dialysis treatment that’s not reimbursed is an awfully big chunk,” Brannman said.
UMC health care professionals say discussion of how to reform the nation’s health care system must include how to shore up taxpayer-supported hospitals, strained to the breaking point by following the law to care for those who are breaking it…
…”The federal government kicked the can down the road on the immigration issue and gave the bill to us,” Brannman said. “This is a federal policy failure that is driving huge health care costs to our citizens.”
The solution is not to give them health insurance, but to turn off the magnets that draw them to enter illegally in the first place.
The hospital has reached out to Mexican government officials to try and convince illegal aliens to return home. But “I can’t make them go back,” the Mexican consul in Las Vegas told the Review-Journal.
And the government officials in the United States who do have the power to deport them…won’t.
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Trackbacks
- Obama’s Retreat: The Public Option Is Dead « NEOAVATARA
- Cool: Sen. Debbie Stabenow is able to “feel” global warming « Jim Blazsik
- Healthcare for Illegal Immigrants « Gathering of Eagles: NY
- Rasmussen: Majority of Arizona Voters Put Immigration & Enforcing Border Laws Over Health Care, Regard Sheriff Joe Arpaio Highly « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- California Doesn’t Get It: Cuts Tax Deductions for Children, Illegal Aliens Trained for Jobs They Can’t Legally Hold « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- “War on Senior Citizens”: Mark Levin Interviews Dr. Betsy McCaughey on ObamaCare Details « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Monday, August 17, 2009 — ExposeTheMedia.com
- RHINOCare – The Senate Finance Committee Puts Lipstick On A Pig. Rush Limbaugh And Other Concerned Parties Are Counting On The Blue Dogs And Ignoring The Elephant In The Room | The Substratum
- The Substratum
- Game On: Obama Building Army of Left-wing Bloggers to Keep Socialized Health Care Pressure on Congress « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Mark Levin Laughs! Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee’s Rude Townhall Phone Call | Interview with CNN Reporter Rick Sanchez (video) « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- The Real Reason For Compulsory Health Care Insurance: The Coming Crisis and Bankruptcy of Medicare By Baby Boomers! « Pronk Palisades
- TOWN HALLS: PROTESTS AGAINST OBAMACARE – August 2009 (videos, facts) « FactReal
- Tuesday, August 18, 2009 — ExposeTheMedia.com
- San Francisco Citizens: Did You Vote for This Extravagant Wi-Fi Installation at SF Bus Stops? « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- San Francisco Citizens: Did You Vote for This Extravagant Wi-Fi Installation at SF Bus Stops? « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- ObamaCare Money Grab: ‘Taxing Your Mere Existence,’ by William A. Jacobson « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Barney Frank’s Wacky Town Hall Circus: Says He’ll Vote the Way HE Think Is Best on ObamaCare, Will Likely Ignore Majority of Voters (video) « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- No Chaos at Oklahoma Townhall Meeting on ObamaCare: Sen. Coburn Addresses “End of Life” Question « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- President Obama: Reform Thyself « Lighthouse Patriot Journal
- AARP Losing Memberships: Seniors and Military Vets Oppose Socialized ObamaCare, Glenn Beck Interviews AARP Rep (video) « Frugal Café Blog Zone
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Categories: Health care, Immigration
Power Line
» More From the East Anglia Archives
Pundit & Pundette
» Various and sundry
Stop The ACLU
» Obama To Hold Another Prime Timer To Explain Our Afghanistan Strategy To Islamic Extremists

AmSpecBlog
» Lieberman Says He's "Stubborn" on Gov't Plan
TigerHawk
» Negative equity














Great strategy. You really taught them nasty GOPers a lesson. Meanwhile, the entire country’s heading to hell in a handbasket. Just take your ball, go home and pout.
If you want pure conservative candidates you’ve got to grow them from seed. Idealism is great, priciples are great, but reality is where we all have to live.
I considered staying home, voting for a third party candidate or writing in my choice, but in the end I voted for the better of two terrible candidates. Even though, in WA State, I knew there was no chance in Hades of McCain getting the nod.
Thanks Bob.
DB
Actually, you are wrong. See, you pulled the lever for the “r” “mindlessly” because, well, he isn’t a “d”. I actually looked at all the options and decided there were better candidates than the “r” this time around. Which takes more effort?
Prove it. I will give him the nod on the military, but that’s it. Mcamensty’s past record shows he has no trouble “reaching across the asile” and telling conservatives to screw off on social and domestic issues. Just what has ahppened so far that mcamensty would have done better? I trust the SOB about as far as I can throw him.
Ha. With mcamensty we get a train ride to h*ll. WIth obummer we get a plane ride. Either way, the republican party under current managment is taking us there as well. open your eyes.
So, no matter what, you will ALWAYS vote for the “r” as long as he/she is 1 degree better than the “d”? If not, when do you say “I just can’t support his paltform any longer”? See, I reached that point. I figure it is better to address the issu now rather than later because both parties are moving further left each year. Again, how in the world does voting for a bad candidate, because he is not as bad as the other, in any way send a message to the gop that the recent past platform and actions were misguided and an affront to conservative pronciples? Answer. It doesn’t. It validates those misguided strategies.
Look, if either of you think you are stating anything not stated here before, you are sorely mistaken. This has been rehashed 500 times between others like myself and die hard, party first, republicans. I voted 3rd party and would do it again. And if the idiots trot out a mcamnesty type candidate in 2012, I will do it again. Vote for who you like, but I will no longer vote purely because they have an “r” next to their name. Put a decent candidate up that has not proven their disdain for conservatives opposed to amnesty/2nd amendment/balanced budgets and I will vote for them.