US v. UK Healthcare -- if you were really in need...

An interesting story in the US headlines today: Mexicans Go to Arizona for Medical Help

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&e=5&u=/usatoday/20050518/ts_usatoday/mexicansgotoarizformedicalhelp

This seems to belay a lot of the accusations made in these forums recently that American health care is unavailable to people in need with limited means, to wit:

“Along the border from Chula Vista, Calif., to Brownsville, Texas, U.S. hospitals serve as a medical safety net for undocumented immigrants and residents of northern Mexico. Each year, their care costs American medical centers, consumers and taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. During 2002, 38 Arizona medical centers surveyed by the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association reported losses on foreign-national patients of $153 million.

Hospitals are required by law to treat all emergency patients, regardless of nationality or legal status.”

I am Italian and I live in California.  It is absolutly true that the hospitals can not refuse service to you no matter if you are legal or illegal in the country.  I don't think you get the same service if you don't have insurance but you get good service.
If you don't have insurance or money for medicens the pharmacy will not give it to you for free. You will just have to find money some how for it.  A pediatrician CAN refuse to see your child if you don't have insurance.

I believe is wrong that health insurance is not mandatory for everybody because there are many many people that are using hospitals that I am helping support with  my taxes and with my monthly premium to my health insurance and they are not even try to get insurance or pay taxes. California has a big big problem with illegal immigrants.

I think private insurance is the best way to have good service BUT not the USA way where a insurance company can refuse to covere you. Both  my husband and I were refuse insurance for minor problems.  Health insurance should be paid by all the people living in the US but in exchange the Insurance company should not be able to refuse coverage or make you pay more if you have a disease. ( Sick people need health insurance more)
Switzerland have great Health Care, everybody is covered but also everybody has to pay it  ,so that they are all helping in supporting the system. They cannot charge you more if you have a disease. Your premium is according to your age. And when you retire you go on a government insurance.  If you are unemployed the government pays for you.
It is a much fair system for all.
50% of the people that are doing bunkruptcy in the US do that for medical bills that they cannot pay. But if you are illegal there is no way they can find you to make you pay for service. That's why they are all coming from Mexico to use the hospitals in Arizona.
When I was living in Italy I would have never thaught of going to Switzerland to use their hospitals because they would have make me pay up front for any service. I don't understand why the US would take care more of illegal immigrants that their own citizens.
I am bitter because I live in Los Angeles and I see that this city doesn't have anymore money to fix our schools and to provide health care to our children because of all the illegal immigrant.    I am an immigrant too but I went trough the system I always paid my taxes and insurance until they denied me coverage. (I was finally able to get insurance again after 3 years)

Marilena

Switzerland have great Health Care, everybody is covered but also everybody has to pay it  ,so that they are all helping in supporting the system. They cannot charge you more if you have a disease. Your premium is according to your age. And when you retire you go on a government insurance.  If you are unemployed the government pays for you. It is a much fair system for all.

We have a system like that - its called National Insurance, although your premium is according to you salary

The U.S. arguably has the finest doctors and hospitals in the world. Unfortunately, if you don't have health insurance, you're screwed.