Quote:
Originally posted by alf
Wait a minute here. Anyone could go into the hospital and demand care? Legal, Illegal, Citizen or not. If i say I have no insurance and need urgetn care will I get service?
Sheesh, why am I bothering with paying for medical insurance.
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The hospital cannot refuse treatment of anybody based on the ability to pay. Period. They can, however, track you down and ruin your credit if you don't pay.
The trick is to do what my patient did; Give a false name and a false address. Provide no identification. You can walk into the finest medical facilities in our nation and steal the best care available. There is NOTHING they can do. Even if they know you are lying about your name and address, they have no legal recourse while you are a patient in the facility. None. And get this, they can't even transfer you to the local county hospital! Deadbeat patients can only be transferred at THEIR request.
A few years ago a pretty bright Mexican woman was discovered to have a serious heart condition while she was pregnant.(In Mexico) She arrived at our hospital with a false name and no address. She got first-class high risk prenatal care and delivery of her baby then the next day in a beautifully scripted performance she complained of chest pain. A cardiac evaluation was done and she got a free mitral valve replacement by a top notch heart team.