[quote=outtamojo]I work in a hospital- 25 years now. When someone comes to me as a patient, they have no history– they are just a human being in need of help. Fvck those hospital workers if they are treating patients differently or lowering standards of care based on personal politics. They need to get another freaking job like border patrol or something as they are unfit for their present job…..[/quote]outtamojo, I never stated that “illegal aliens” were getting less care or a different “standard of care” than anyone else treated at the same hospital. I stated that they were coming over here by hook or crook close to their delivery dates and presenting themselves for delivery, often when there was no point of return (ie water broke, baby trying to come before they even arrive, etc). Of course, no one at the hospital realizes their true status until AFTER their (often “emergency”) delivery is performed and they are visited by a hospital social worker due to lack of English skills of the mother. This hospital employee is a Medi-Cal specialist. At that point, the hospital ends up stuck with the tab for maternity services.
It’s just another “unfunded mandate” that goes along with the territory of operating a business or government in a large metro area bordering MX.
If you want to know why healthcare is astronomically priced in this region, this phenomenon is a big part of your answer, folks. YOUR insurance payments to hospitals and the providers who contract with them is subsidizing this HUGE and continually-flowing “illegal-alien” group …. all over the state, but most of the medical services to this group are rendered within 15 miles inside the US border.
outtamojo, these MX National women who walk over the border (or are brought to local hospitals by private vehicle or the border patrol) very deliberately come here to deliver their child(ren) so they will be “anchor babies” for them to stay here. Especially if the father of the children is already working somewhere in the state (legally or illegally), leaving his family in MX and sending them remittances. It is a calculating move on their part and the US Homeland Security Dept allows their crossing with no questions asked if they have a border-crossing card or other ID to come here and “shop” or “visit family and friends for 1-2 days.” And “shop” they do but that ruse is undoubtedly used by female MX Nationals in their last trimester of pregnancy to successfully cross into the US to deliver their child(ren). Most of them don’t have a ready place to stay in the US close to the hospitals near the border for weeks or months while they await the birth of their child so they frequently wait until the 11th hour to cross into the US … when delivery is imminent.
outtamojo, I don’t know which hospital you work at (in SD County?) but this is a very frequent occurrence in South County hospitals … often taking place several times per week … even more than once daily.
I believe the hospitals around here would still have enough patients if they didn’t provide “unreimbursed” care for Mexican Nationals and wouldn’t have to lay any employees off. (They would actually be fiscally better off.) But not so for the public schools in the two South County public school districts. In some of them (elem schools), a VERY large percentage of their student populations are actually border-crossers (both MX National and “anchor baby” children) every day who are “hiding” behind the local address of a friend or relative or a longtime boarded up home that no one in the school districts has ever verified as “uninhabitable.” The address of a boarded-up property can (and was) used for up to 30 students attending multiple local public schools because the offices of each campus don’t compare notes with one another as to students using the same address to attend schools within the CVESD. Yes, if there was ever a change in rules and regs at the Int’l gates (for MX Nationals attempting to cross into the US with a MX passport, border crossing card and the like) as to time of day transporting obvious school children back and forth, driver or passenger in third trimester of pregnancy, etc, then a few of these Elem schools would likely have to shut down as the areas around them are 70-90% comprised of the over-55 crowd. The few children actually legitimately residing in the attendance areas of these schools would have to be bused to another public school. This would especially affect schools situated in older, low-density areas where there are few apt and condo units, if any.
Oh, and outtamojo, a patient coming into a hospital to deliver their pregnancy should have a “history” with them. They should ALREADY have their insurance cards on file with the delivering hospital as well as all of their prenatal care records, name and phone of obstetrician (who has practice rights at THAT hospital) as well as delivery date ALL on file with them. That’s the way it was for ME and I’m no spring chicken :=0 This is the way it’s always been! The moment I walked (or was rolled in) to the hospital to deliver my baby and presented my insurance card, the triage desk or front desk already KNEW who the h@ll I was and why I was there without me having to say anything. They were “expecting” me. As it should be.
Many “illegal alien” new moms delivering at US hospitals near the US/MX border have had minimal, if any, prenatal care and of course, there is no record of it anywhere. Of course, this lack of prenatal care often adds more maternity services at the time of delivery, thus adding to their (unreimbursed) bill for delivery.
