[MBANurse]

Originally Posted by Grace Oz

You might be interested to learn how we in Australia operate.

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/

Even an American man on holiday here in my city received top class healthcare and hospitalisation in one of our public hospitals. No questions asked! He was taken care of first. Any money dealings were the last thing talked about. He and his wife were blown away by the kindness, the immediate care and attention he was afforded.
During his stay in hospital, his wife was looked after by the social workers and accommodation, transport to visit her husband, meals etc all arranged for her. If memory serves me correctly, while they did have travel/health insurance, it nowhere near lent itself to what they actually received courtesy of our public health department.
NO person in need of medical help is ever turned away from an Australian public hospital.

If you need emergent care here you will not be turned away either...
you said money was talked about... "it was the last thing talked about"
so they still had to pay the bill for the services...

[Grace Oz]

What I wrote was: "Any money dealings were the last things they talked about" , as in an expression of speech.

So no, they did not talk money.
The focus was on the patient being provided the healthcare he needed.

Did they pay any money???
From what was in the the newspaper article; no.
That's why they were so "blown away" by the care, the help etc etc.

[MBANurse]

Originally Posted by Grace Oz

What I wrote was: "Any money dealings were the last things they talked about" , as in an expression of speech.

So no, they did not talk money.
The focus was on the patient being provided the healthcare he needed.

Did they pay any money???
From what was in the the newspaper article; no.
That's why they were so "blown away" by the care, the help etc etc.

Well I would be pleasntly surpised if they didn't. But non-citizens that do not pay taxes are generally not entitled to the benefits provided to the tax paying citizenry.

[MBANurse]

The state-run healthcare scheme is called Medicare. This is an Australia-wide health insurance scheme, funded through income tax. Healthcare under Medicare is available to all citizens and permanent residents of Australia.

http://www.aussiemove.com/aus/hlth.asp

[Grace Oz]

Originally Posted by MBANurse

Well I would be pleasntly surpised if they didn't. But non-citizens that do not pay taxes are generally not entitled to the benefits provided to the tax paying citizenry.

On the contrary, you'd be amazed just what our country affords to non citizens!

[MBANurse]

Originally Posted by Grace Oz

On the contrary, you'd be amazed just what our country affords to non citizens!

Australian citizens and permanent residents who live in the country can receive healthcare through the taxpayer funded Medicare system (although in most states ambulance costs are entirely the user's responsibility). Other travellers should hold appropriate insurance covering medical expenses, as they will be required to pay the full cost of care

from http://wikitravel.org/en/Australia

[Grace Oz]

And the point you're trying to make is???????????????

[MBANurse]

Originally Posted by Grace Oz

And the point you're trying to make is???????????????

THat since they were Americans they were (are) expected to pay the full cost of medical care. Just like any non citizen here w(sh)ould be expected to pay the full cost of their medical treatment.
So yes; you are right. We should in fact model the way that Australians deliver healthcare to non-citizens. (non compact countries).

We could even set up compacts like Australia has to provide for Americans overseas.

[Grace Oz]

I have nursed many non citizens over the years who received healthcare in our public hospitals, and they never paid a penny for their care!

While it's preferable and expected that payment will be received, it's not always the case that it is.

[MBANurse]

Originally Posted by Grace Oz

I have nursed many non citizens over the years who received healthcare in our public hospitals, and they never paid a penny for their care!

While it's preferable and expected that payment will be received, it's not always the case that it is.

Australia does have a compact with a few countries...
according to government websites though... non compact countries have to pay