Texas emergency rooms - for real

[donsu]

this is a letter from the buzzflash mailbag

http://www.buzzflash.com/mailbag/03/10/mai03171.html

Subj: TX Emergency Rooms

As of November 1, 2003, Texas emergency rooms will no longer be required to treat sick children or adults if they have no money or insurance, except in cases of imminent death, and they cannot be sued if this policy results in death. On the night of 10/15 - 10/16 the Clear Lake Regional Hospital turned away a woman with a baby running a 103.4 degree temperature and referred them to us, a 501 c3 non-profit medical/dental clinic which is struggling to stay in operation. We learned today that the Texas Department of Health would not fund us again this year ( they never have) even though we are the only 501 c3 non profit medical/dental clinic in operation among a population of over 200,000 people in a Federally designated medically underserved region. This region is medically underserved because the people cannot afford medical care.

A BuzzFlash Reader

Houston Area
-----------------------------------

see what's coming to your town soon

[grilled onions]

1. culling the herd

If you're wealthy you get care If your poor you'll die a lot sooner. If your wealthy you can eat. If you're poor you can starve for all they care. If you have money you can have a roof(or many roofs) over your head. if you're poor you get to run from shelter to viaduct(if you're homeless)or risk life in a slumlord rental. You are an equal here in the old U.S.A but some seem to be more equal then others. :mad:

[raifield]

3. Hmmm...

Isn't that how, say, revolutions are started?

Bah, that's never going to happen though. We have the special kind of system where the majority of the people don't even care about stuff like this, as long as it's not them.

[bleedingheart]

2. One of these days the poor and downtrodden are going to

take their revenge and it will be ugly.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

9. godspeed to them

that's what I say

[havocmom]

16. They will, indeed.

And there are not enough rent-a-cops to hold the walls of the gated communities.

[mhr]

4. Wake Up People!

The Republicans could care less about you or your family.

You only matter if you can contribute to the coronation of King George the First.

Obviously the bulk of you have chosen submission.

May GOD have mercy on your souls!

[JNelson6563]

18. Get real

It's King George II, not I. ;-)

Julie

[fknobbit]

5. Delay and Perry have got to go!

[mhr]

6. I Live In Texas, It Won't Happen

The sheeple are numb with Arnold's starpower and the Kobe chronicles.

Their departure is but a dream.

I wish it were otherwise.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. This is what "compassionate conservativsim" means

don't help others. Think only of yourself. If it appears you are helping someone, rest assured there's a bigger payback for you somewhere.

And this is sad, because we are all interconnected. What hurts the poor does hurt the rich-spiritually, karmically, psychically. I think the majority of rich folk have no clue whatsoever how poor people live, and why they are in the straits they are in. If they did, they would be coming up with some creative solutions.

And, you know, you never can tell when there will be a crash and the rich won't have anything but worthless paper. Many of the 'poor' will be able to survive any kind of crisis where the rich will be the ones who will be in dire straits.

[Flubadubya]

8. Reptilicans Rule Texas....

Should have seen this one coming! :grr: :puke:

[jafap]

10. Well, if you have no money or health insurance

Wasn't Denzel in a movie like that? "It can make a man so desperate when there ain't no money left. But a pistol's always welcome, like American Express." Autograph

[Avalon Sparks]

11. I can't find info about this new law...

but I'm going to keep looking. Of course it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Repukes in this states slipped this one in somehow...

I did find this:

Study: Emergency rooms handling more than a third of Texas patients
More than a third of Texas hospital patients are seen in the emergency department before being admitted, according to a study by the Texas Health Care Information Council (THCIC). This includes 36 percent of all hospitalized children and 53 percent of the patients age 80 and older.


The report is based on 2001 data from THCIC's Hospital Discharge Database.

The study shows that pneumonia was the primary cause of hospital admission through the emergency room. Four of the other top 10 conditions for emergency room admissions involved heart conditions. The other leading conditions were chest pain, stroke, fluid and electrolyte disorders, urinary tract infection, and chronic obstructive lung disease (emphysema or chronic bronchitis).

more`

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2003/03/24/daily2.html


After reading that article, I can't help but think of the ramifications this would have for Texas. For those asshole Republicans that don't give a shit about people dying, at least you think their little pea brains would comprehend that this is a sure fire way to spread disease and sickness throughout... and their little gated communities won't protect them from that.

I'm going to keep looking to see if I can find where this is a new law. All I've been able to find so far as that as of August 30, 2003 170,000 children would lose their CHIPS healthcare in Texas and that as of Nov 1st, CHIP co pay and premiums would increase, and effective Sept 1st, CHIP coverage would be reduced from 12 to 6 months of eligibility.

[Avalon Sparks]

12. Found this little tibit fom 2000----

Mr. Bush said affordable insurance was his health care goal, his "mission," but he saw the crowded emergency rooms in Texas as proof that his constituents already had access to health care.

This is not good. The governor appears to be clueless about health care, both unaware and unconcerned.

In February, during a campaign appearance in Florida, Mr. Bush was questioned by a woman who wanted to know what he might do about the fact that her health insurance did not fully cover the needs of her son, who had a chronic, life-threatening illness.

According to The Times's Frank Bruni, Mr. Bush seemed "stumped" by the query. "He sang the praises of medical savings accounts," wrote Mr. Bruni, "then acknowledged that it was too late for the woman to start one and that he really had no specific remedy for her."

Mr. Bush told the woman: "I'm sorry. I wish I could wave a wand."



http://www.commondreams.org/views/041300-101.htm

[Avalon Sparks]

13. OK. I think this might be it.....

Posted on Wed, Sep. 03, 2003

Emergency-room rules relaxed
BY ROBERT PEAR
New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is easing rules that say hospitals must examine and treat people who require emergency care, regardless of their ability to pay.

Under the rule, which takes effect Nov. 10, patients might find it harder to obtain certain types of emergency care at some hospitals or clinics owned and operated by hospitals.

The new rule makes clear that hospitals need not have specialists "on call" around the clock. Some patients might have more difficulty winning damages in court for injuries caused by violations of the federal standards.

"The overall effect of this final rule will be to reduce the compliance burden for hospitals and physicians," the administration says in a preamble to the new regulation, to be published in the Federal Register next Tuesday.

The administration drafted the new rule after hearing complaints from scores of hospitals and doctors who said the old standards were onerous and confusing, exposed them to lawsuits and fines, and encouraged people to seek free care in emergency rooms. Courts have often ruled for patients, against hospitals.


More

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/living/health/6677984.htm



BUSH IS A MOTHERFUCKER~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[area51]

14. TX emergency rooms

One of my idiot relatives just loves "compassionate conservatives" George W. Hoover & (gov.) Rick Perrymander, and will be voting for them, even though my relative knows that I'm poor & unemployed, & have no access to medical care. He & many other republinazis have got a severe case of "I've got mine, now fsck you" attitude.

[Avalon Sparks]

15. OK --- one more posting~

I found this (which I kinda already was aware of) here's the highlights... From the Austin American Statesman May 2003

Texas won't be taking all the money the federal government is willing to give it under the budget proposals passed last month by the House and Senate.

Both chambers try to limit spending on programs such as Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, through which the state lures several federal dollars for every dollar it puts up.

Local officials say public hospitals will end up treating many of those patients and spending just as much as the state would have. But they won't get any federal dollars to help.

"Emergency rooms cannot turn away very ill children and elderly persons and allow them to die," said Bill Bailey, a Harris County constable and president of Texas Association of Counties. "Counties will bear the brunt of spiraling indigent health care costs."


http://www.statesman.com/legislature/content/coxnet/texas/legislature/0503/0505fedfunds.html

SO NOW IT COMES FULL CIRCLE AND THEY WILL CUT EMERGENCY CARE TOO!!!!

I CAN"T FUCKING BELIEVE THIS!

[SpiralHawk]

17. Ah, but we can all take comfort in the words of pResident* Bush

He's all over this issue like a freshman cheerleader on a candied apple:

"The goals for this country are a compassionate American for every single citizen. That compassion is found in the hearts and souls of the American citizens."

- George W. Bush*, Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 2002

*Inexcusably AWOL while honor-bound by solemn oath to be serving with the Texas National Guard in the 1970s; defeated by a clear majority of patriotic and discerning American voters in the 2000 election; appointed to office by the so-called supreme court.

[bluestateguy]

19. This is why I will be leaving Texas

I don't want to live in a state like that, and since my health insurance expires next September, I have all the more reason to leave.