Why are illegal aliens that show up in the hospital ER required to be seen (for any condition)?

The mexican government and leftist liberals here in the USA teach them how to obtain free medical, housing assistance and food stamps that would not be available to you as a citizen without a LOT of trouble and proof.

We need to get rid of ALL bleeding heart liberal politicians and replace them with politicians that put American citizens first. Ironically its the liberals that keep bitchin about medical care costs and they are the cause of driving up. Here in Kommiefornia, every time you obtain medical care you're paying an extremely inflated price to pay for the two illegals that got free care ahead of you.

Well, first of all. Some of the others answers are not correct. I was taken by ambulance to a hospital about 7 years ago. I am an American and White. I had a job but no insurance. I needed emergency surgery and they transfered me to a County Hospital. The doctor that did the operation was upset. He said I almost died. Before they came to transfer me. I heard a man that could not talk English. A Spanish interpreter told the doctor this man had no insurance and no job. Next thing I heard the doctor say. Prepare the operating room because he needs surgery. The Government has been aware of this for years. The hospitals care more about illegals than they do their own people. Regardless of the laws that are suppose to exist. They do not follow those laws.

Anyone that shows up in the ER is entitled to medical attention per national law. Because we are a nation of compassionate people (and we really are), I don't have a problem with this act of mercy for people in need. What I DO have a problem with is the fact that these illegals are not DEPORTED after proper and / or life saving treatment. I really can't believe anyone (or at least very few) Americans would want another human being to bleed to death on the sidewalk of your neighborhood hospital but as tax paying CITIZENS we should expect these people to be expelled from the country as per our own LAWS. Are we really asking too much to have the laws enforced? What sort of deal with the devil has the president and congress made to turn a blind eye to the number one issue in our country??

This law passed in 1986 is the culprit you seek! We in Health care are required to treat all who present to the ER...Serious situations as well as the "Colds, Moles, and Sore As*holes"...It makes for a great deal of abuse of the system in turning a service to help those in serious and life threatening situations into a free clinic for all too often those who have sold all their Lortabs for crack and can't get their prescriptions refilled until the first of the month. It perhaps was a good idea on paper but as the saying goes " The best made plans of mice and men often go askew"...

well the way I look at it, if they show up at the ER, they better have proof of the immunizations(every illegal should have that) if they don't have the proper immunizations they should be detained, it is a public health situation, do you want to catch polio from your salad at the restaurant because the illegals were chopping up the lettuce?(how long ago was your polio shot?)

Great point. We need to get the illegals out of here. Cut off the jobs, start actively looking for where they are and deport them. Instead, we have Democrats, like the NY governor, trying to find ways to invite more, like giving them drivers licenses.

Politicians are truly pathetic. 80% of us are so pi//ed off on this issue, yet they disregard our wishes, blatantly, and try to figure out how they can sneak in more illegals, just to get the Hispanic vote.

Federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, also known as COBRA or the Patient Anti-Dumping Law. "The avowed purpose of the statute is to prevent hospitals from rejecting patients, refusing to treat them, or transferring them to "charity hospitals" or "county hospitals" because they are unable to pay or are covered under the Medicare or Medicaid programs."

Not sure what the law is but it is their policy not to turn people away and then have taxpayers foot the bill, or close the ERs when they can't afford to stay open.

This is one reason I get so pissed at the pro-illegals that claim that we need them here. Excuse me but we don't need them and our economy would be much better without having to shell out BILLIONS each year for a bunch of criminals that are breaking our laws.

Yeah all you have to say is "No hablas ingles, no dinero" and you get everything for free. They need to change this and they also need to take anchor baby laws out of the books.

doctors must take the hippocratic oath... thats why they have to treat them

dude, the illegals are just ONE reason.

the BIGGEST factor in unaffordable health care is the DRUG COMPANIES

why is the same medicine is so much more expensive here than in other countries?... pfizer and the likes know that congress will protect their profiteering