Hospitals in AZ potentially to require proof of citizenship

[Byte Stryke]

This is not possible-

For example, the first person I transported who died-

picked him up for Diarrhea (the glories of EMS)
dropped him at the hospital doing compresions


He was having a heart attack, wouldn't have known until it was too late

well if you dropped him at the hospital doing compressions his citizenship status would not have been questioned until you dropped him off... correct?
The whole article is about Hospitals doing this, not Ambulances.
Once again, if you are concerned about getting caught breaking the law, Don't.

[BigMat]

well if you dropped him at the hospital doing compressions his citizenship status would not have been questioned until you dropped him off... correct?
The whole article is about Hospitals doing this, not Ambulances.
Once again, if you are concerned about getting caught breaking the law, Don't.

What if he walked in the door is what I am saying. Triage nurse turns him around? dies on the curb? thats great for business, I'm sure hospitals will be all over this

[Byte Stryke]

Not at all, my wife just got insurance and I just canceled mine, and I work/go to school in health care. It sucks, I know, but the simple fact is, this isn't where the problem lies. listen to politians and talk show junkies say it is all you want, but from the eyes of the insides, if you want to stop wasting money on health care, there is a different place to look. Worthless POS Americans who use the health care system. I transported a guy because he wanted to get across town and we were faster than a cab, no joke. I rutinely picked up a woman who weighed 500+ pounds and costed AZ more than 3 million a year, because she ate too much. I transported her once, after she called 911, because she was gaining weight!

thats where the money goes, because we can't say no to people who don't need it and abuse it, not because we say no to people who need it and didn't pay into it. I can say in all honesty, I transported a known illegal less than 10 times. But, I've transported the same drunk bum more than once in a shift! Fix this, and you will save a lot of money, get the lawyers out of it, and you will save a lot of money, get patient expectations to reality, and you will save a lot of money, get the illegals out, and you will save a LITTLE money. (I could go on)

Health Care. State-funded uncompensated outlays for health care provided to Colorado’s illegal alien population amount to more than an estimated $82 million a year. That is a net cost after crediting compensation from the federal government. Additionally, Coloradans who have medical insurance also pay higher medical insurance bills to help cover the costs of those without insurance.

Now, I am not saying the system is perfect, but $82 Million would buy allot of school books.

[BigMat]

Just to take another view on this-
I work in health care
cops, BP, ICE etc. work in law enforcement.

I did not sign up to enforce anything, I am trained to not judge my patients.


This is making those who have no desire to do this, who have no training to do this, and have no place doing this, and I worked/work for a private business, do something because law enforcement at every level keeps failing at it.

Maybe we should be asking why the border is so open that nurses need to be doing imigration busts!

[Byte Stryke]

What if he walked in the door is what I am saying. Triage nurse turns him around? dies on the curb? thats great for business, I'm sure hospitals will be all over this

So if I rob a Bank, get shot (Just a Shoulder shot) in the process, should I fear going to the hospital?
Should they NOT report me?
They aren't Cops, They should stay out of it!

Right?

Just as relevant, the law is the law and they are breaking it.
By NOT reporting a known criminal the hospital is committing a crime. Just as if they did not report the gunshot wound.

I Do see your point Mat, I simply dont agree with it.

[BigMat]

So if I rob a Bank, get shot (Just a Shoulder shot) in the process, should I fear going to the hospital?
Should they NOT report me?
They aren't Cops, They should stay out of it!

Right?

Just as relevant, the law is the law and they are breaking it.
By NOT reporting a known criminal the hospital is committing a crime. Just as if they did not report the gunshot wound.

I Do see your point Mat, I simply dont agree with it.

Afraid not, I make/will make no legal judgements, ever. Not my place. I happily let cops on my box, stood with them in ERs but my place wasn't to put cuffs on anybody, and I don't want it to be, ever. It will ruin what health care is.

There is a law, or better no law making a medical person report all but a few crimes or threats of crimes (rape, abuse, murder, suicide, etc.). If a man was on my box with a GSW, guess what, I didn't call the police. I didn't ask what he did, I would ask about the GSW to treat it better. i.e. when, where, with what, how long ago, list goes on. But not, "what were you doing you felon POS?" I have also transported stab wounds with no PD involvement. I am not a detective, I am not going to play dress up and pretend I am one.

I have transported criminals, fresh from crimes, my job was to treat them, not to judge them, just as a combat medic treats the friends and the foes. We treated the drunk driver and the woman he ran into. We treated the drug addict and the man with CHF. It is what we do.

This isn't to say we are blind, I remember a day standing in an ER with a cop friend of mine, a little boy had been beaten half to death by his dad. I asked why so many cops were in the ER. He said because dad wasn't locked up yet, the cops were there to keep him safe, from us.



Health care comes from a long back round of treating those in need. A better fix if tax payers don't want to pay for illegals is to get gov't out of health care as a whole, but be prepared to deal with that as well.

[Irving]

I'm not comfortable with doctors enforcing the law, just as much as I'm not comfortable with politicians trying to run health care.

I guess you guys would like to start the new motto of "When seconds count, your ID is only miles away."

I don't like illegals anymore than any of you guys do. I actually cry a little every time I go to King Soopers and everyone always knows about "that lone, teary-eyed, gringo" that shops there. A law like this would be terrible for everyone though. My fiance isn't a citizen, but she is a permanent resident, has lived here longer than I have, has supported me, more or less, since I lost my job (the first time) in 2008, and has more "American Values" than I'll have in my entire life. Alas, she looks like a *Mexican. She is the one with the health insurance for her and our daughter. We all carry our info all the time, but God forbid something happens and her, or our daughter's, proof of citizenship isn't available.

In case I have to spell it out. If some dumb fuck thinks that he/she is being patriotic and denies service to my family in a life threatening emergency, they won't be making it home to their family, ever. It won't matter who thought who was American then.




*Call her a Mexican and she'll unsheath her machete and redecorate your face.

[BigMat]

*Call her a Mexican and she'll unsheath her machete and redecorate your face.

Just a guess, Guatemalan?


Also, I fully agree. It's not my place just as much as I am not asking cab drivers, pilots, or plumbers to check ID and make sure your customer isn't a felon before saying hello.

[BigMat]

End of the day, this isn't going to work, regardless of the law.

The amount of time it would take to check citizenship, would negate the whole purpose of this, and then when you eventually find out and I am not going to be the man to unplug the balloon pump, say "sorry buddy, didn't pay" and ship the corpse back to Mexico. Good luck finding the nurse or doctor who will.

[Irving]

Just a guess, Guatemalan?

Heh, nah, more south. On the right track though.

I have to agree that the answer to failure in the law enforcement, isn't to start recruiting a bunch of nurses. Besides, people who work in hospitals are mostly all a bunch of bleeding hearts and wouldn't turn people in anyway.