Thread: Hispanics sue because they get charged for medical care.

Evidently, uninsured illegals believe they should get a discount on their hospital bills.




http://www2.presstelegram.com/news/ci_3107463

Catholic Healthcare West faces suit
By Peter Prengaman, Associated Press



LOS ANGELES â€â€

I think I'll sue Medical Center Hospital here. Two years ago my husband had a heart attack. They did an angioplasty, kept him in ICU for two days and in the hospital for five days. We were charged $55,000 for saving his life. Why should we have to pay such a huge amount for such a paltry service???

RR

County puts focus on Latino health

MEXICAN CONSULATE JOINS CRUSADE

By Edwin Garcia

Mercury News


Hoping to raise awareness about the health needs of Latinos, Santa Clara County and the Mexican Consulate on Friday launched a weeklong series of workshops, medical screenings and conferences to promote the value of preventive care.

``It's pretty significant that we pay close attention to a population that makes up 25 percent of our community,'' said Dr. Guadalupe Olivas, the county's director of public health. ``We all benefit from a healthy community.''

The awareness campaign, announced outside the county government building in San Jose, is part of the annual Binational Health Week, which gives Latinos, particularly immigrants from Mexico, direct access to health care.

Among the programs and services being provided through next Saturday: Blood-sugar screening at the Berryessa Flea Market in San Jose; tips on cancer prevention at a presentation in Gilroy; a cooking demonstration for women in San Jose; health screenings at a day worker center in Mountain View; and a presentation on the proper use of children's safety seats in San Jose.

Olivas said there's a ``significant imbalance'' in the rate of health issues that affect Latinos compared with the general population, including higher incidences of child obesity, teen pregnancy rates and diabetes.

Lack of access to health- care and medical information, she said, is a major reason for the disproportionate numbers.

Research released by the county shows that in 2000, Mexican immigrant women ages 18 to 64 were about twice as likely as U.S. born, non-Hispanic whites not to have had a Pap smear in the previous three years. In addition, research shows that cancer screening rates were the lowest among Mexican immigrants compared with other groups.

Binational Health Week began five years ago as a project of the University of California and has extended to 24 other states, Mexico and Canada. Santa Clara County joined the campaign this year, after elected officials were approached by a local representative of the Mexican government, Bruno Figueroa.
``Illness and disease have no borders,'' Figueroa said at the news conference.

Several Bay Area counties are participating in the campaign, including San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo and Santa Cruz.

During last year's campaign, more than 115,000 people received at least two health interventions, and 45 percent of them said it was their first contact with medical specialists since they moved to the United States.

County Supervisor Blanca Alvarado, instrumental in persuading her colleagues to support the campaign, said providing preventive care to Mexican immigrants who often lack health insurance will pay off in the long run.

``Many of them are migrant workers and day laborers who just don't have the ability to seek out medical attention and treatment until it's too late,'' Alvarado said. ``If they get very, very sick, they end up in our emergency rooms, and it ends up costing us a lot of money.''

For more information: www.bhw2005.org or call (40 423-0700.


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"What's fair about paying three to five times more?" lawyer Archie Lamb said at a news conference. "The working poor are being run into bankruptcy by this payment system."

Well, Archie, maybe it's because insurance companies negotiate rates for their policy holders. In return, those same policy holders pay a monthly premium to the insurance companies to be a part of their medical network.

Since your clients don't pay for preferred coverage, why on earth should they receive the same benefit for free that costs me over $700 each month?

I guess the solution from Archie's perspective is that his clients get the same rates that I do, and my insurance payments go up to $1200 per month to cover it.

These illegal parasites and their lawyers are going to completely destroy what was once the world's best medical system.

Mirna Estupinian, a 35-year-old mother of two from El Salvador living in Los Angeles, told reporters Tuesday that in June an ambulance took her to a Healthcare West hospital for treatment of severe abdominal pain.

She stayed at the hospital two days, had X-rays and was diagnosed with gastritis. A few weeks later, she said, she received a bill for $20,296. Her husband's job as a truck driver didn't provide health insurance.

Want to know a secret, Mirna?

You can buy your own health insurance. Of course, that means you'd also have to pay for it yourself, but it is an option.

Maybe they didn't cover that in your La Raza meetings.

Can I throw up now?

Lawyers are the greediest bunch of basta_ _ _ on the face of the planet!

Illegals and their lawyers are bankrupting this country and the hospitals and they cry for more blood! I don't know about you all, but I feel a need for a transfusion!

Just another reason my monthly health insurance premium now costs more than my monthly mortgage payment. Somebody – anybody – please, stop the insanity!

Binational Health Week began five years ago as a project of the University of California and has extended to 24 other states, Mexico and Canada. Santa Clara County joined the campaign this year, after elected officials were approached by a local representative of the Mexican government, Bruno Figueroa.

United States, Mexico, and Canada. They should call it the Trinational Health Week. Just another part of the CFR Plan and the FTAA to end the United States.