Although not directly related to health savings accounts, the focus of this blog, international patient dumping is a fast-growing phenomenon that does have a direct impact on the cost of healthcare for everyone.
As this article from the Seattle Times illustrates, American hospitals have an ethical duty to care for everyone, including uninsured illegals. But how far does that go?
In the case cited by the Times, a Guatemalan national here illegally suffered brain damage in a horrific accident. After racking up approximately $1.5 million as a ward of the hospital system over 4 or so years, the hospital system finally arranged for a charter flight and forcibly sent him back to his official country (Guatemala).
This new wave of deportations is not officially sanctioned by the U.S., and in fact it is completely private, which is what makes it so interesting.
Expect plenty of legal battles over cases just like this over the coming years.
But the next time you get a $12,000 bill from the hospital for an overnight stay, a fair question to hospital administrators might be: “How many uninsured illegals am I subsidizing?”
3 responses so far ↓
1 bill aal // May 26, 2009 at 5:12 pm
The amount of money that undocumented workers and their families contribute to social security and in taxes far outweighs any individual stories such as that one. As a relatively healthy person, I am funding excessive health care for those who are less healthy than me… Should I complain about that?
For profit Hospitals also dump US citizens that have no health insurance in front of public hospitals especially in big cities like L.A. and NYC,
if we had a health care system that was funded in a more rational way, there would be no need for this kind of balancing act. I hope upcoming health care reform moves us in that direction
2 Lisa Kung // Jan 20, 2010 at 4:01 am
What a disappointment. I just submitted my information to you to get a quote, but please don’t bother writing me back. Your anti-immigrant stance just lost my business. Here in Atlanta, the dozens of people who were clients of the Grady dialysis clinic are starting to die now that the clinic has been closed are patients, mothers, sons, *people,* not “illegals.” Shame on you. I thought you were a doctor, not a political hack.
3 admin // Mar 28, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Dear Lisa:
We won’t bother sending you a quote. No problem.
But kindly take a moment to read the article. And this time, actually read the article and the Seattle Times article referenced therein.
It relates to people who are here illegally who are gaming the system.
You mischaracterize my position: I do not have an anti-immigrant stance. I do, however, have a decidely anti-illegal occupants stance. BIG difference. Huge!
CDR
p.s. I’m not a doctor – not sure where you got that from either. In case it matters, I am a lawyer & financial planner. And a political hack.
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