Thread: GA: Grady Gives Dialysis Patients Deadline

Grady Gives Dialysis Patients Deadline
Odette Yousef (2010-01-29)

ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - Grady Hospital has sent letters to roughly 50 of its former dialysis patients, giving them until February 12th to call the hospital, or lose their ongoing treatment. Hospital officials say patients have to get serious about finding long-term solutions, because it can't continue paying for their care at private clinics.

Grady closed its outpatient dialysis center in the fall. Now, hospital officials say that patients who begin working with them may continue at the private clinic. Those who don't can expect their treatments to stop. Matt Gove is Grady spokesperson.

"We don't want a patient to feel like they haven't had the opportunity to look at a long-term solution," said Gove.

Gove says the hospital is willing to relocate the patients back to their native countries where they can work with a third party to find care options. The patients could also go to other states, he says, where Medicaid rules may allow them to get treatment.

Most of the patients are undocumented immigrants with no insurance. Many have said they have no family in other states, and they fear that access to quality care in their home countries will be worse.

http://oneoldvet.com/

www.publicbroadcasting.net

This continues to really anger me. Would an American citizen with no insurance be coddled this way? Especially when these folks send their money to relatives in their home countries instead of paying their bills.