Hospital Falters as Refuge for Illegal Immigrants

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ATLANTA — Each had crossed the border years before, smuggled across the desert by a coyote, never imagining the journey would lead to a drab and dusty clinic on the ninth floor of Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.

Some knew before the crossing that they had diabetes or lupus or high blood pressure, but it was only after they arrived that their kidneys began to fail. To survive, they needed dialysis at a cost of about $50,000 a year, which their sporadic work as housekeepers, painters and laborers could not begin to cover.

And so they turned to Grady, a taxpayer-supported safety-net hospital that would provide dialysis to anyone in need, even illegal immigrants with no insurance or ability to pay.

a sampling of the hundreds of reader comments:

All those wire payments to Mexico? Remittances? They should be taxed 75 percent to pay for medical, school, police, etc costs.

Poor. Isolated by language. Unable to work because of the law and because you feel so weak. Constant threat of deportment or arrest. With dialysis you might live another ten or twenty years, but without it you will die in a week or maybe two. How desparate would you feel?

With the numbers of dialysis patients dramatically increasing, it's difficult to find chairs for people who can actually pay, or have the resources to pay. As for illegal aliens, maybe the large dialysis companies like Davita or the pharmacutical companies can help pay.

I am an RN working in an area where many uninsured seek treatment. Someone ultimately has to pay for that treatment and it is those of us who are working and have insurance.

Trillions in bailout to wall street billionaires. This country has lost it's heart and it's soul.

No compassion anymore. We need to be more harsh. Kick every illegal out . Racism? I really don't care if you call it that. All of them: white, brown, yellow, black----out! In Mexico they don't pamper their illegals.

Please note that the Illegal's are not only paying taxes but they are also contributing to the U.S. economy by taking jobs which the natives or legal would not touch.

The solution is pretty clear-cut, isn't it? Emergency treatment for undocumented workers? Sure. Long-term care? No way.

Isn't it clear that we must become an ethical country where matters of health are concerned? Isn't it clear we must lead the way to a global community?

Of course the hospital has to stop treating these patients if the treatments are pulling the hospital under.

Perhaps, young man, you can change your name to Goldman Sachs and then try again for welfare.

How is this different from sneaking into someone's house and complaining that their refrigerator is empty?

I am irritated by their sense of entitlement to free care when there are so many legal Americans who go without care and prescriptions because of the cost. The fact that they crossed the border knowing they had a chronic health condition that would require care is completely irresponsible.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/21/health/policy/21grady.html

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I agree with one of the above comments...GET OUT. My mother and other family members came from a 3rd world country....the right way. Obtained a visa, worked and became citizens. If my family can do it, so can they! My mother became an RN at 19. It makes me very angry that these people get away with this when I have friends born and raised here that get turned down for health insurance because of ACNE!

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Specializes in IMCU.

OK then. But when you Americans travel to Europe, get sick or have an accident, pay your own bloody bills.

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That is fine! Precisely why I have insurance that follows me when I travel...even when I did travel to Europe. :D

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, educator.

This is really tough. Yes, we should be compassionate, but we need to face the reality that the funds are not there to give free care to everyone, especially when they don't live legally in that country. If they want to come in the legal way and do things right, then more power to them. But looking for a free handout is not a way to run a business. It can only go on for so long. I feel bad for these folks, but how about people in this country who have lost insurance and cannot afford COBRA or private insurance, and maybe make just a little too much for Medicaid? Tough choices need to be made, no one said it would be easy or pretty.....

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
This is really tough. Yes, we should be compassionate, but we need to face the reality that the funds are not there to give free care to everyone, especially when they don't live legally in that country. If they want to come in the legal way and do things right, then more power to them. But looking for a free handout is not a way to run a business. It can only go on for so long. I feel bad for these folks, but how about people in this country who have lost insurance and cannot afford COBRA or private insurance, and maybe make just a little too much for Medicaid? Tough choices need to be made, no one said it would be easy or pretty.....

We cannot save the whole world. We can only do what we can do. Reality is reality...I totally agree with what you say.

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When I did not have health insurance and became deathly ill, I went nowhere near medical care (for whatever reason, but I felt if I couldn't pay for it, I couldn't run up the bill). Did anyone show any compassion for me when I nearly died when my illness went just too far for me to be walking around? No. Not at all. I say, these people should receive medical care in their home country from their home government. They can get all the compassion there that they need and so rightly deserve. Why do I have to pay for them to receive what I can't get for myself or my family? No sense. And no pity from me.

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Interesting thread. I'm usually the heartless republican in the discussion. his one made me think. Honestly, I'd be a lot more comfortable paying for their care then I would with many americans.

There are two groups of immigrants. Those that come here because they can make way more then they can at home, and send it all back out of the country to their families back home, until they have enough saved up that they can go back and live happily. You know, the ones that are milking the system. On the other hand, there are those that come here because it's the only chance they have. Often times they come from places riddled by extreme poverty, gang violence, corrupt governments. Illegals don't have it easy in the least, as they have to scrape out a living with the constant paranoia of being caught. But it just shows how bad it was back home.

I cannot, in any decent conscience, judge these people. The legal channels are often not an option, as the lists can take years, if you can even get on them. If I was in their position, I have to say....I'd be jumping the border too. If you have families depending on you, they come first. Even above the law.

Furthermore, they have the American dream firmly in their minds. Noone embodies the American spirit quite like immigrants do. To come from nothing, and to be so grateful for the simplest opportunities. As opposed to those who grew up here and never knew anything else, who feel entitled to everything and go on endlessly about how horrible this country is and how it doesn't give enough.

A lot of these people WANT to succeed, whatever it takes. Which is more then I can say about a lot of americans. They just never had the chance in any aspect of their lives. I'm so tired of inner city youths going on about being "disadvantaged" when they have so many options available to them if they'd only put in the effort. Immigrants on the other hand have nothing when they come here. They can't even get a job flipping burgers, and have to settle for under the table work. They have no prospects at education, or anything else. But they're damn sure going to try. And I don't care who you are, you have to respect that much. As I said, I would much sooner part with my tax dollars to give them a shot then I would to support lifetime welfare recipients pregnant with their third or fourth child.

But I'm also a realist. The financial strain of caring for these people is immense. I've heard of hospitals in the southwest that have had to close due to their emergency rooms being flooded by illegal uninsured. And programs like this offer only serve as to attract more of those that come seeking to abuse the system. There really needs to be a path towards citizenship for illegals. And no, I'm not talking about blanket amnesty. That's just stupid. But programs that involve a sweat equity, that force them to contribute to the betterment of our country while at the same time offering them the basic opportunities of providing for themselves, and obtaining an education.

The military already does this. You can work your way towards citizenship through active service, and I feel a lot of illegals would gladly choose this path if they weren't fearful of revealing themselves. But I'd love to see a civilian counterpart to this program, either via community service or some other public works. And set up milestones along the way that they have to meet, like learning english and advancing in a specified trade. I wouldn't have the slightest reservation about contributing to such programs. I also wouldn't feel the least bit guilty on cracking down on any illegals that chose not to participate.

You know, this post actually made me think. I'm surprised at myself. I thought I'd be a lot harsher on illegals.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Very often, I see patients in the hospital that can not afford to eat and pay for their medications. They have no clue how they are going to pay for their hospital bill, or the RX for the $100 antibiotics the MD just handed them...not that the MD cares. These patients are Americans, some of them elderly that helped shape our country, fought for our freedoms today. Raised our generation. As long as our healthcare system can not support our own citizens, then we are foolish to provide free care for people that illegally jumped the fence. I'm sorry if the American dream is not what they thought it would be.

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Alot of these discussions turn into "Americans are getting screwed, so why shouldn't Illegals?"

I think the better question is: "Why are Americans getting screwed?" On one hand, that does open up a whole new can of worms. But we should refocus on priorities on the real problem: our broken HC system. But I guess there are 30 other threads for that.

So for the sake of discussion, lets say we live in a world where all the Americans arnt getting screwed in healthcare, would you still be comfortable paying a little more to provide EMERGENCY coverage for illegals, because it is the "humane" thing to do?

Does our artificial nationality really supersede our shared humanity, to the point where we would allow another to die because they "don't belong here"? Should we just accept that the world is a cruel and merciless place, and being able to take care of yourself and your loved ones is good enough, much less helping a random stranger. I guess I'm in the latter category, cause the plight in Africa sure isn't keeping me up at night.

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"There are two groups of immigrants. Those that come here because they can make way more then they can at home, and send it all back out of the country to their families back home, until they have enough saved up that they can go back and live happily. You know, the ones that are milking the system. On the other hand, there are those that come here because it's the only chance they have."

I'd like to know why Americans see to argue the reasons behind illegal immigration matters. Does anyone care why people who commit crimes such as stealing or using illegal drugs? Many of these people come from horrid backgrounds and feel forcing into their situation, but the punishment is the same. We don't sit around and classify them as "those who use illegal drugs due to severe abuse as a child",etc...

BOTTOM LINE: It is a crime to come and reside in a country illegally. Not to mention absorb the benefits such as welfare, our schooling system, job workforce, without putting your taxes in.

So it should not even be a factor what their reasoning for committing a crime is. It is unbelievable how the government is going to legalize this mess and soon be covering their healthcare...

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Specializes in ER, Psych, Telephone Triage.

I used to work in a USA Border Hospital in Cali. Cops or Border Patrol would get a pregnant almost ready to drop illegal boosted over the fence who wound up with a broken ankle. As soon as they dropped the Patient off with us and finished their coffee they booked.

He where are you guy's going I asked? "She's yours now" "If we stay with her our agency will have to pick up the tab"

So now this Illegal may need surgery on the ankle and a stay in OB. After a few thousand dollar bill she is discharged to who knows where maybe East County, Riverside, LA???

So now she will drop the kid on our side of the Border and he will have American citizenship!!!

So here we have Police agencies who are not really policing and are actually setting prisoners free???

The Cost of Illegal Immigration on Health Care:

http://www.portfolio.com/industry-news/health-care/2009/11/20/illegal-immigrants-cost-local-hospitals-while-feds-avoid-issue/

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/07/why-the-health-care-clock-might-be-ticking.html

http://immigrationcounters.com/

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