Illegal Alien- frustrated!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Please don't flame me. This is the only place I can comw to to vent and get some ideas on how to get myself back on track. I work with people who are immunosuppressed. I have a particular client who is receiving lots of money in health care and medication as well as assistance with rent and utilities. She is hispanic, provided a Socical Security number and a signed supporter statement from her husband. Now it turns out husband is undocumented and their income comes from him fixing cars off the books. They have not filed a tax return EVER. This family also receives almost $400.00 a month in food stamps plus a few hundred in WIC. My problem? It hacks me off that they are getting all these benefits and don't pay taxes. It makes me feel like a bad person but it is really hacking me off. Every time I turn around there is this client with their hand out. They have this letter written in Spanish that says "I so an so make such and such each month". This has been taken by not only our agency but others as well. We would not even think about taking such a document from a Caucasian or African American person. I certainly do not want someone to go without help but it aggravates me when I have to assist this person at the expense of the next one, who might be a citizen! I am sure other nurses deal with this. I am looking for a good way of thinking about this. Thanks!

Specializes in Critical Care.

If you believe they are committing fraud then turn them in. I just do not understand how an illegal immigrant is entitled to ANY care at taxpayer costs.

Specializes in Medical/Surgical/Maternal and Child.

I'm a Hispanic and I have worked with alot of undocumented people. I also feel the same way you all feel on this board about SOME of them being able to con their way into getting a free ride at tax payers expense. However, I do take exception that ALL undocumented people do this. I've known many "illegal's who do the jobs Americans don't want sometimes working 2-3 jobs because they are too proud to ask for handouts from the US tax payers, welfare, food stamps, etc. Plus alot of these people do pay taxes and never receive any of that money back because they are using a fake social security card. They also pay cash for everything they purchase because they are afraid to apply for credit. Plus, I happen to know of many American citizens who also know how to con their way into getting a free ride at tax payers expense and are getting benefits which they do not qualify for.

Specializes in Psychiatry, Case Management, also OR/OB.

I agree with all the posters here, however with a caveat. As a hospital-based case manager, we see many undocumented aliens who not only milk the system after they come here, but deliberately come here to get dialysis, TB treatment, etc. In Kansas, active TB is an automatic medical card approval. I had a patient on my caseload who came here from Africa for a grandson's college graduation, collapsed with pneumonia, anemia, etc. etc. DX: AIDS, also an automatic medical card. I do feel, however, that we as Americans need to remind those in Washington and our respective state governments that we expect solutions to this problem. Undocumented persons are slowly sucking our system of funds needed for deserving American citizens. Lets VOTE, people. The buck sometimes stops with us, too!!!

Specializes in Nursing Ed, Ob/GYN, AD, LTC, Rehab.
If you believe they are committing fraud then turn them in. I just do not understand how an illegal immigrant is entitled to ANY care at taxpayer costs.

AMEN!

Silly me, I thought nurses were supposed to be compassionate. I'll have to watch for the questions on checking for a persons greencard before giving them treatment when I take the boards this spring. You have really opened my eyes!! I was foolishing hoping to work with people who cared about others, regardless of where they come from or the language that they speak. That is my possition, anyway, I'm looking forward to caring for people- only of my own race..... the human one.

funny you take exception to people characterizing all illegals as freeloaders but you have no problem casting that large net in this statement that you made about war veterans "every war veteran on the face of this earth whether they be american or not has been involved in atrocities or did something they were not proud of to the civilian population in the countries they occupied and to say it ain't so is being in severe denial!!"

i'm a hispanic and i have worked with alot of undocumented people. i also feel the same way you all feel on this board about some of them being able to con their way into getting a free ride at tax payers expense. however, i do take exception that all undocumented people do this. i've known many "illegal's who do the jobs americans don't want sometimes working 2-3 jobs because they are too proud to ask for handouts from the us tax payers, welfare, food stamps, etc. plus alot of these people do pay taxes and never receive any of that money back because they are using a fake social security card. they also pay cash for everything they purchase because they are afraid to apply for credit. plus, i happen to know of many american citizens who also know how to con their way into getting a free ride at tax payers expense and are getting benefits which they do not qualify for.

What pi$$es me off is the tv show I saw yesterday where an american with insurance had to go to India for a hip resurfacing because the american insurance company wouldn't pay for it.

How is this fair to the people supporting the system? If you're wealthy you get what you want. If you are poor you sit in the ER and get treated for free in the county system. If you are in the middle you have to leave the country so you don't lose your house.

I'm for national health care. At least I can stay here to get it.

"I was foolishing hoping to work with people who cared about others, regardless of where they come from or the language that they speak."Wait til you have to deal w/ people who bilk the system..whether illegal or not. Then you'll find your compassion for them ebbing pretty low, especially when you see other people w/ limited resources struggling to get by or to get the care they need and knowing you can't help them. Wait til you see the Medicaid mom in to deliver her 4rth or 5th kid, unmarried, and not working, even though she could get birth control free. We've had people ask our hospital for free samples of Tylenol, because they 'couldn't afford' their 5 dollar copay, yet spend more than that at the snack machine outside the ER waiting room door. I had a patient who comes in all the time, chronically ill. Wife asks for meal tickets. I would give her a few to last through his hospitalization. The next day she's asking different people for more meal tickets after bringing kids (one of them grown) to the hospital to eat for free, loads her pockets w/supplies from the floor's pt food stocks, and insists on taking up a bed in the pts room. It's also amazing how many times his pain prescriptions get 'stolen' from home while he's hospitalized and his wife asks for renewals.Yes, nurses have compassion..that's why we went into nursing..but what we don't have to be is naive, blind or ennabling of these kind of behaviours.

Specializes in burn, geriatric, rehab, wound care, ER.
Silly me, I thought nurses were supposed to be compassionate. I'll have to watch for the questions on checking for a persons greencard before giving them treatment when I take the boards this spring. You have really opened my eyes!! I was foolishing hoping to work with people who cared about others, regardless of where they come from or the language that they speak. That is my possition, anyway, I'm looking forward to caring for people- only of my own race..... the human one.

some people may think that you are idealistic because you are still new to nursing but I have to agree with you - and I've been a nurse for a long time. What would you do if you lived in a poor country and the only chance you had of saving your child's/parents/sibling's life was to sneak into the country next door and get their care there? Wouldn't you break the law too? These people are just trying to help their loved ones survive.

I believe that nurses and others wouldn't be so resentful of people that are able to work the system if everyone in this country had equal access to healthcare. The resentment is understandable when >40 million of our fellow countrymen are unable to obtain/afford private health insurance even though they are employed productive members of society.

Specializes in CNA.

First I want to say YES it is wrong to lie and get medicaid or any other assistance. But why did you go into the medical field? I thought that when someone decides to work in the medical field it is to help people (people of any race,from any country any persons in general). I am going into the medical field because I love to help people and to take care of the sick and injured! I think it is wrong to say that someone didn't deserve to get medical treatment in anyway shape or form!!! Think about it we all are humans!! Honestly I think that everyone needs to take a step back and think about why they became a nurse or a doctor etc. Was it because you love taking care of people? Or was it for the money? Why? So does it really matter how they pay for it? Does it matter where they are from?

What would you do if you lived in a poor country and the only chance you had of saving your child's/parents/sibling's life was to sneak into the country next door and get their care there? Wouldn't you break the law too? These people are just trying to help their loved ones survive.

I have less of a problem with this (desperation because of a loved one's illness) than I do about the ones who have cards in multiple names and are brazenly open about it.

To one poster: I do not believe that all illegals are out to milk the system, I understand that they're just trying to earn money and work hard. I'm talking about the ones who refuse to work.

To another poster: I don't know about other states, but in CA we cannot turn them in, in spite of the law that says we can.

And to the student: you think we aren't compassionate??? As stated many times before when we are chastised for venting, this a place for us to share and cry and laugh and vent. Allow us to do that without beating us up before walking in our shoes. I have a lot of compassion but I get so tired of illegals on medi-cal getting free medical care, while legals and citizens who do not earn enough for insurance but earn too much for medicaid struggle to pay for their care. I had a pt just the other day, legal and with a green card, off her seizure meds for months and having weekly seizures because she can't afford her meds.

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