Border Wall..Yes or No

[Fitswimmer]

You see, when someone has insurance, the insurance company negotiates a STEEP discount with the provider. I get the paperwork back after my insurance has covered hospital bills and there's usually something in the range of 40-60% discounts provided to the insurance company.[/QUOTE

I got the answer about the billing when I asked about the $1200 a night room at the hospital. My insurance company thought it was excessive and wanted to know what was included in that cost. There was NO discount offered to the company, the highest possible cost was billed. I ended up paying the amount that was over "reasonable and customary" out of my pocket.

I'm sure that there are cases where discounts are offered, but it did not happen in mine.

 

[Amity 3]

I had to have a surgery back in August. we hadn't met the family $250.00 deductible with Blue Cross, so my surgeon told me to pay the $250.00 before he would operate. the rest of the surgery amounted to close to 15 K, which was covered.

his office manager told me they had to collect every deductible dollar they could, due to illegal immigrants and fake ID's.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

It's been about 20 years since I worked medical billing but at that time Medicare covered the homeless and those who did not qualify for SS. By definition, illegals do not qualify for medicare.

Who Is Eligible for Medicare?
Generally, you are eligible for Medicare if you or your spouse worked for at least 10 years in Medicare-covered employment and you are 65 years old and a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. You might also qualify for coverage if you are a younger person with a disability or with chronic kidney disease.

Here are some simple guidelines. You can get Part A at age 65 without having to pay premiums if:

You are already receiving retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.
You are eligible to receive Social Security or Railroad benefits but have not yet filed for them.
You or your spouse had Medicare-covered government employment.
If you are under 65, you can get Part A without having to pay premiums if:

You have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits for 24 months.
You are a kidney dialysis or kidney transplant patient.

You may be thinking of medicaid--or maybe medicare coverage has changed..but medicare eligibility does not include homelessness or lack of SS benefits in its list.

Medicaid is available only to people with limited income. You must meet certain requirements in order to be eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid does not pay money to you; instead, it sends payments directly to your health care providers. Depending on your state's rules, you may also be asked to pay a small part of the cost (copayment) for some medical services. (For more information, download "Medicaid At-A-Glance 2005" from the bottom of the page.)

To learn about the Medicaid program in your state see Related Links Inside CMS at the bottom of the page.

Many groups of people are covered by Medicaid. Even within these groups, though, certain requirements must be met. These may include your age, whether you are pregnant, disabled, blind, or aged; your income and resources (like bank accounts, real property, or other items that can be sold for cash); and whether you are a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted immigrant. The rules for counting your income and resources vary from state to state and from group to group. There are special rules for those who live in nursing homes and for disabled children living at home.

Your child may be eligible for coverage if he or she is a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted immigrant, even if you are not (however, there is a 5-year limit that applies to lawful permanent residents). Eligibility for children is based on the child's status, not the parent's. Also, if someone else's child lives with you, the child may be eligible even if you are not because your income and resources will not count for the child.

What is Not Covered

Medicaid does not provide medical assistance for all people with limited incomes and resources. Even under the broadest provisions of the Federal statute (except for emergency services for certain persons), the Medicaid program does not provide health care services for everyone. You must qualify for Medicaid. Low-income is only one test for Medicaid eligibility; assets and resources are also tested against established thresholds. As noted earlier, categorically needy persons who are eligible for Medicaid may or may not also receive cash assistance from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program or from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Medically needy persons who would be categorically eligible except for income or assets may become eligible for Medicaid solely because of excessive medical expenses.

Basically--just like regular coverage..these are things you must initially carry. Not all poor people qualify.

But at this time--Medicare definitely does NOT pay out to cover the people you have listed.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I had to have a surgery back in August. we hadn't met the family $250.00 deductible with Blue Cross, so my surgeon told me to pay the $250.00 before he would operate. the rest of the surgery amounted to close to 15 K, which was covered.

his office manager told me they had to collect every deductible dollar they could, due to illegal immigrants and fake ID's.

While I am highly anti-illegal immigration and feel that much needs to be done...I am beginning to wonder the integrity of those who make these statements. It is a hot button topic in this country.

I had knee surgery last year. The billable cost was $10K...but I skated by with a negotiated rate of $1500. I'm not an illegal...I have insurance..so somewhere somehow...someway....that $8500 in revenue gets made somewhere I suppose.

And you'd have to pay the deductible regardless of the illegals or not.

I paid a $20 office visit co-pay and then didn't pay anything else until I showed up hobbling on crutches a couple of days later for a follow up check.

This country had medical billing issues way way before illegals became the topic du jour. It makes me wonder if personal prejudice is playing into these statements.

Whenever I ask out of curiosity--the answers I get are rather politically neutral. Due to UNinsureds and b/c insurance companies are always trying to negotiate lower.

 

[marybet]

You want to punish people for dreaming and hoping for a better life? THat's a little harsh. What would your punishment be?

53 people voted yes for a wall but very few replies give support as to why. Come out, come out wherever you are and explain why you think this would be a good thing.

Myst

I don't know what the punishment should be. If there are no repercussions other than being sent back they will just keep coming.

We do have legal immigration for those dreaming of a better life.

 

[Charade]

That wall will do nothing to stem the flow of illegal drugs.

We'd be able to do more to fight drug smuggling if we'd get the CIA and other agencies to stop smuggling it themselves!!

I'm sure that's a HUGE problem but not withstanding that, we should allow the CIA and other agencies to ASSASSINATE drug lords.

 

[dreamergirl78]

I don't know what the punishment should be. If there are no repercussions other than being sent back they will just keep coming.

We do have legal immigration for those dreaming of a better life.

Apparently the amount of paperwork involved for every capture of an illegal is huge! It take agents hours to do this work. There HAS to be a better system. I know if we were caught doing something illegal in Mexico our punishment would more than likely not be a "Don't do this again" and a free ride back to the US. I agree, the problem will never be "fixed" if we do not take a strnoger stance.
Thank you for saying legal immigration. I think we need to get the word immigration out of our vocabularies when iscussing illegals coming into the US. This is not immigration, rather breaking the law.
Good post!

 

[marybet]

Apparently the amount of paperwork involved for every capture of an illegal is huge! It take agents hours to do this work. There HAS to be a better system. I know if we were caught doing something illegal in Mexico our punishment would more than likely not be a "Don't do this again" and a free ride back to the US. I agree, the problem will never be "fixed" if we do not take a strnoger stance.
Thank you for saying legal immigration. I think we need to get the word immigration out of our vocabularies when iscussing illegals coming into the US. This is not immigration, rather breaking the law.
Good post!

I didn't know about all the paperwork, no wonder they just send them back.

You are so right about us commiting a crime in Mexico.

We have just left the problem go for to long. When they were having all those rallies, saying illegals have rights, it was scary. I only wish I could think of a good solution, I just don't think a wall is the answer.

 

[dreamergirl78]

... I just don't think a wall is the answer.

Me neither.

 

[Charade]

Me neither.

Do you think it's a problem that need a solution?

If so, what's your suggestion?

 

[dreamergirl78]

Do you think it's a problem that need a solution?

If so, what's your suggestion?

I think it is a HUGE problem. In fact I was so passionate about it, I wrote out a VERY long post about all of the problems. (look a few pages back, no way can I retype it all)

My suggestion? Wow someone actually wants my opinion... I guess if I knew the solution I would not be here on the DIS but in Phoenix hopefully as an elected official. The first thing we need to do is let the Border Patrol do their jobs. They are so bound by red tape that it makes it very difficult to actually DO anything with the illegals they capture. Secondly we need to have a serious discussion with the Mexican government. As long as they continue to do nothing about the illegal crossings of course they will continue to flood into our country. Not sure how to hit them where it hurts, but we have to try to see eye to eye with them. We SHOULD NOT give them the same rights (and often times more rights) than we as American citizens have. Why make it even more enticing for them to cross over? And we need to stand strong as Americans and speak out! This is NOT Mexico, you are not welcome here illegally. You are not entitled to our way of life if you are here illegally. End of conversation. Along with illegals crossing over, come many other problems. Increases in health care, ruined and damaged property, drugs, guns, etc etc.
Anyway, that is what I think.

 

[Fitswimmer]

This country had medical billing issues way way before illegals became the topic du jour. It makes me wonder if personal prejudice is playing into these statements.

I was waiting for this. I knew someone would throw the racist card.

Asking people to come into the country legally, learn the language and pay taxes is NOT RACIST. Wanting to see benefits and tax dollars go to help legal citizens is NOT RACIST.

Hospitals in my area are treating larger and larger numbers of illegals every year, that's just the facts. The costs for treating those patients has to come from somewhere. Just because some hospitals are being honest about how they are getting that money doesn't mean they are racist either.

 

[Luv'sTink]

You don't have to pass a citizenship test to be here legally. You can be here legally as a landed immigrant. Now if you want extra rights, such as voting priveliges, then you have to become a citizen.

Myst

Are you Canadian? (Not that it matters) Landed immigrant, I have only heard in Canada. DH was a Legal Permanent Resident, he is now a US Citizen.

When I met DH he lived in Canada. We had to ask the US government if he could live here when we got married, we were granted permission for him to live here.(K-1 Visa) We then had to prove we were really living as man and wife, but they still had restrictions on him (Permanent resident with conditions) After two years and proof we were still married they removed the conditions (Permanent Resident) After we had been married for 3 years he could apply to become a US Citizen, he applied after we had been married almost 5. One year later he was a US Citizen. Each step required fees to be paid.

Since I jumped through the hoops of the US Immigration, I believe everyone should do it and do it legally. Don't even start with the "They can't read or speak English so how do they do it" They have the forms and translators for every language, one time when I was at the immigration office I almost had to ask for someone I could understand because the person I was talking to had such a strong accent I could barely understand them.

It is not hard to do it legally it is just inconvenient. Even if you are here illegally they will help you, if you do it before you get caught.

 

[Crankyshank]

We need to do something because illegal immigration is causing a huge strain on our economy and our health care system. Not just in rising costs of health care, but the resurgence of diseases once eradicated on American soil and the introduction of diseases never before seen in the US can be linked to the increase in illegal immigration. Just one small example -Within my own state we've had an exponential increase in antibiotic resistant TB traced to the Dominican illegals.
I voted no for the wall though. I think it's a huge waste of time and money. People are going to find a way to get in here so long as they know they will be able to find jobs. Start making life hell for those who hire illegal aliens and then we'll see a reduction in illegal immigration.