Last night, I saw a story how a Texas public hospital (run via a medical school, IIRC) was treating patients based on the ability to pay. The example was a woman who had a heart attack, but no health insurance. While they did treat her as a heart attack emergency, they refused follow-up treatment until SHE PAID HER BILL. EVentually, she got Medicaid to help offset the cost.
The story (CBS? NBC?) may have been a scare tactic boasting it may be the new trend in medicine. But, the story FAILED to address the current Federal laws to guard against such practices! In fact, a recent Federal law states if you feel you have a life-threatening OR limb-threatening emergency, the hospital has to take you. In fact, I will get the exact wording from a relative who works within the main Federal offices of Social Security…on such matters, specifically.
Does anyone recall seeing this story last night on the national, evening news?
- Jinx