Thread: Hospital doesn't want to admit Ramos' sick son

Originally Posted by crazybird

No problem if they were illegal.

Sucks being a citizen doesn't it? Sure doesn't pay off much. Wasn't it just the other day where an illegal was complaining because she was 21 and couldn't get her 3rd kindey transplant.....and felt she was OWED it. Yet this poor boy can't get into the hospital? Sickening.

Uh, that would be her 4th liver transplant. Disgusting isn't it?

God help us all! We don't have the full details, but if it is meningitis, that is NOT a situation where you should leave someone sitting around for 2 weeks. This is unbelieveable. I think I am going to be sick!

I thought hospitals MUST provide emergency care per federal law to everyone? Why doesn't she bring a lawyer with her to demand they obey this law? They sure as hell let enough illegals in, so why in hell would they deny a citizen?!?!?!?!

I thought hospitals MUST provide emergency care per federal law to everyone?

That's what we are told but there's been times I know people were sent away or shipped off to a not-for profit hospital. I was under the impression emergency care ment like triage emergency care....flu and you could wait and find a Dr....shark bite and we'll mend you till you can get care. Some are real strict and others take you with a cold. I don't know exactly how it works. All I know is I've had to pay and they wanted everything about you and relatives and everything else and hounded you daily till every last dime was paid.

Originally Posted by crazybird

No problem if they were illegal.

Sucks being a citizen doesn't it? Sure doesn't pay off much. Wasn't it just the other day where an illegal was complaining because she was 21 and couldn't get her 3rd kindey transplant.....and felt she was OWED it. Yet this poor boy can't get into the hospital? Sickening.

No it was her fourth transplant fully paid by the State of California.

Here's the link:

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-111624-puente.html

You know what this story needs to be sent to McCain. He always says he's not going to tell a guy in Iraq that his mother has been deported. Well, is going to tell an American citizen who needs our help NO when their father was unjustly imprisoned. We should make this a Presidential campaign issue.

Originally Posted by crazybird

I thought hospitals MUST provide emergency care per federal law to everyone?

That's what we are told but there's been times I know people were sent away or shipped off to a not-for profit hospital. I was under the impression emergency care ment like triage emergency care....flu and you could wait and find a Dr....shark bite and we'll mend you till you can get care. Some are real strict and others take you with a cold. I don't know exactly how it works. All I know is I've had to pay and they wanted everything about you and relatives and everything else and hounded you daily till every last dime was paid.

I am not positive but I think the problem may be that he was being admitted to the hospital by his doctor rather than showing up in the ER. If you go to an ER, as I understand it they must see you by law to evaluate your complaint. Any hospital that collects payments from Medicare/Medicaid and has an ER has to follow these rules. Once you are in the ER, if they need to admit you they either have to send you to a room or transfer you to another hospital. Since Ramos' son was not admitted through the ER, they could demand money up front before admission. This does not make sense and ethically it stinks to high heaven, IMO.
An illegal alien who shows up in the ER and needs to be admitted will get a room. I don't think at that point anyone can demand money. Since Ramos' son was coming in through the Admissions department instead of the ER, they held them up for money. I have heard of this happening to others, too. There was an article in the WSJ recently about a lady who needed chemotherapy. Cancer is not considered an emergency so the hospital would insist outrageous sums of money be paid before her treatments were given. She was left with a very high bill and the hospital told her she should sell some assets or dip into retirement funds. This is totally insane. I cannot believe the way hardworking American citizens are treated by some of these places.

working4change-
Thanks for posting that story from http://agentramos.blogspot.com/ ! I searched endlessly and just now found it again and was going to post it. Of course Iwas late again, but glad it's up here now!

That hospital was probably stalling, trying to wait until the family had a diagnosis of a terminal illness and Jacob stopped breathing before admitting him! I know, it happened to me. Cancer $uck$

Originally Posted by miguelina

I thought hospitals MUST provide emergency care per federal law to everyone?

Illegals have taken advantage our hospitals so badly that most are tightening up on their ER care. My one and only local hospital recently began running ads in the local paper warning people that if their situation is not a "matter of life and death" don't bother wasting time in the ER! "Especially if you're a Tenncare patient!"

Those weren't their exact words but that's what it said reading between the lines!

Originally Posted by camilleinchicago

Cancer is not considered an emergency..."

Yes, 'cancer' in of itself (depending on what kind of cancer) is not considered an emergency to the E.R., but many side effect of the cancer are. Breathing difficulties and chest pain, for example.
Here in Tennessee only two types of cancer diagnosis will automatically qualify for Tenncare-Medicaid. Those are cervical and breast cancer.
Lung cancer also qualifies for Tenncare-Medicaid (SSI and Disability also)but not as easily and more hoops to jump through.

Let us also pray for Jacob on Sun. 05/11/08.
(National Day of Prayer for our law enforcement officers, specifically unjustly imprisoned Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.)

am not positive but I think the problem may be that he was being admitted to the hospital by his doctor rather than showing up in the ER. If you go to an ER, as I understand it they must see you by law to evaluate your complaint. Any hospital that collects payments from Medicare/Medicaid and has an ER has to follow these rules. Once you are in the ER, if they need to admit you they either have to send you to a room or transfer you to another hospital. Since Ramos' son was not admitted through the ER, they could demand money up front before admission. This does not make sense and ethically it stinks to high heaven, IMO.

OK....now that glitch makes sense.....I guess. There's just so many conflicting stories it's hard to know anymore. I had my kids on the Floridas Healthy Kid program. You could never get into the Dr. and he'd always say.....go to the ER. You'd go to the ER and they would treat them, but then you'd get the bill saying it wasn't considered an emergency and so therefore not covered under the Healthy Kids program and you'd have to pay anyway. No consideration of the fact that Healthy Kids covered poor people that weren't "poor" enough for Medicade yet too poor to afford 500 ER fees not counting everything else. Then I believe the only reason they took them was because they were children. I just know it was confusing as a parent. In the area I was you had to pay your Dr. up front before they'd see you. It was extreemly hard finding anyone who took new patients let alone anyone who would take you quickly.....but if you even thought about waiting till tomorrow and your child was really sick, HRS was there to take your kid away and charging you with neglect. I just know I was hounded daily for every dime till every last dime was paid. I'd make payment arrangements and pay it, in person, in cash, and I would barely get in the door at home till there wasn't a call about the next payment and pressuring for more sooner complete with threats. Heck I don't even think they send a bill to illegals....the pressure they put on me had me at the brink of wanting to run too the hills....