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I am curious. What happens when a hospital tries to claim funds under the EMTLA for an undocumented alien? Does the government track down the patient, after they have been treated, and start deportation proceedings?
I have always wondered about this. Does anyone actually know?
For me, I always go back and ask myself a question: Why did I go into nursing in the first place? My answer is that I wanted to save people's lives. Therefore, it is my duty to treat and provide care regardless of the person's skin color, economic status and so forth.
When we're in nursing school, we're taught that we should treat the patients in the non-discriminatory manner. Therefore, we should treat the illegal immigrants just like everybody else. Just imagine how it feels like if someone treats you different (or worse) than everyone else.
We pay the bill, folks. The hospital gets no compensation, they write off the loss, and our fees go up when those of us with insurance policies become patients. Then the insurance companies in turn raise our premiums to compensate for their losses.
Speaking as the wife of a LEGAL immigrant who had to jump through an innumerable amount of hoops to get a British citizen here who worked for the American government his entire adult life who had NO criminal record - I have a serious problem with this. Can't help it - it's a huge moral dilemma for me.
The only people in the US that are NOT illegal aliens are Native Americans and descendants of slaves. Most Americans are descendants of illegal immigrants who stole the country from the Natives and shoved them on reserves.
I noticed that everyone seemed to miss this point that AGATHA PREVOST was making or perhaps it is an uncomfortable reality for many. So let me add a few sobering thoughts to this silly illegals debate.
Yes, the Europeans were illegal immigrants to North America who took over by military force and what today would be called terrorism. So, the United States was founded on illegal activity against the Native Americans. What do some of you on this thread advocate, denying healthcare to uninsured Native Americans?
Much of the southern and western United States was part of sovereign Mexican land. Conflict arose because people from the U.S. were illegally entering Mexican Territory and causing problems. They were in fact undocumented U.S. aliens entering Mexico. The United States illegally seized land from Mexico. So is in undocumented Mexican really an illegal alien?
The only reason undocumented aliens can thrive in the United States is because people like you use them for cheap labor. If you were to remove all illegal aliens from the United States right now the economy would collapse. The same people who complain about aliens costing too much are the same people who hire them to:
Work their farms
Act as maids/servants in their homes
Work construction
Stock the shelves in retail stores
Performing dangerous chemical and industrial cleanup
Etc.
I guess some people on this thread think undocumented people are good enough to work 80 hours a week at low wages but not good enough for medical treatment.
Before everyone questions my loyalty and patriotism let me remind them I was born in the United States and served as military officer for 25 years.
Altra, BSN, RN
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