Letter: Charity hospitals, not Obamacare

How can we have had millions of “uninsured” in Louisiana when we have had a charity hospital system for many years in which all one had to do was show up and receive treatment?

Here in Lafayette, charity hospital had the only 24-hour emergency room for a long time. In place of Obamacare, I recommend that each state develop a charity hospital system. If you must involve the U.S. government, let it pay half. This appears to be simple, and it would work.

Robert M. Cordell

lawyer

Lafayette

Comments

1) Comment by serenade - 23/02/2013

Your income has to be extremely low to qualify for free or even reduced-price care in the charity system. I am telling you that from experience. Several years ago, I had a health emergency because I didn't have insurance (it was a minor problem that turned into a major one because I couldn't afford to see my regular doctor without insurance). I had to go to the ER, and I ended up with a bill for over $2,000. I was making $9 an hour at the time, and and my annual income was $900 too much to qualify for any assistance. Know what you are talking about before you speak.

2) Comment by Maelstrom - 23/02/2013

This is the problem with people not using a variety of news sources. They base their opinion about things without understanding at all what they are talking about. Obamacare does not provide universal insurance, but the goal is universal coverage, either through insurance, medicaid, or medicare. There were some people who were not able to get insurance through their job (or refused to buy insurance) but made too much to qualify for medicaid. Those people are being required to buy insurance. It wasn't about the poor. Note: if they went to a charity hospital, because of their income, they would be charged retail for their costs which could lead to loss of home, etc. It's more complicated than that, but that is the short, simplistic explanation. Mr. Cordell, do your due diligence. Don't be an embarrassment to all lawyers.

3) Comment by SuzanneMS - 23/02/2013

Most states don't have charity hospitals, phil, so it's hard to say, but it's a good question. If everyone has some form of health care insurance under the Affordable Care Act, then it's quite possible that the charity system would not be necessary. But we won't know, because Jindal has refused the Medicaid expansion, which is what would have provided their coverage. I hope you aren't fooled into thinking that it's for any reason other than to justify turning the charity systems over to his friends in the for-profit health care business. tradewinns, it's too bad we can't send you back to the 19th century, where the poor were treated as criminals and subhumans. You'd fit right in.

4) Comment by phil - 23/02/2013

Are they going ahead with building the hospital in New Orleans? I do not especially like the idea of shutting down charity hospitals by Jindal at this time. But honestly, under Obamacare, if EVERYONE will have health insurance then I see no point in having tax-funded charity hospitals too. Why should taxpayers be forced to buy their own insurance, pay for health insurance for the poor, and also have to support a charity hospital system? Seems like we should have one or the other - but not both.

5) Comment by tradewinns - 23/02/2013

those w/o insurance and not the ability to pay should be treated at our medical schools by students. the vast majority of "treatments" are of a normal nature, complicated/serious illnesses could be treated by a more experienced doctor.

6) Comment by SuzanneMS - 23/02/2013

They are uninsured because they do not have health care insurance. Surely even a lawyer can understand that. And is that what you do, Robert, just show up at a hospital when you need health care? Most people with insurance have a primary care physician who provides them with routine health care from cradle-to-grave -- vaccinations for childhood diseases and flu, annual physical exams, treatment of non-life-threatening conditions, obstetrical and well-baby care, referrals to specialists, treatment for the diseases of aging -- all those things that people with health insurance take for granted and that hospitals do not provide. And who coordinates the care received from specialists and hospitalists when hospitalization is truly necessary. And even a lawyer might exercise a little enlightened self-interest to realize that service workers with untreated illnesses present a danger to him and his family as they encounter them in restaurants and hotels.

7) Comment by lovemykids - 23/02/2013

Phil we don't have to wait for the Affordable Care Act because Jindal is shutting down all charity hospitals.

8) Comment by dday198 - 23/02/2013

mr. cordell's plan is short sided to say the least

9) Comment by phil - 23/02/2013

When everyone has health insurance under Obamacare, we will be able to shut down ALL charity hospitals - right? After all, everyone will have insurance and charity hospitals will be a thing of the past. - right?

10) Comment by palefire - 22/02/2013

You do realize that these charity hospitals are not free to all of the uninsured. And this is just based on my own experience, but I went once when I was younger. About every thirty minutes I would get a new "training wheel doctor". They would perform test after test on me for about eight hours. This all ended when a real doctor showed up and gave me a GI cocktail. Ten minutes later, I was good as new with a bill of over three thousand dollars. That's $3,000.00!