So, I’m not particularly concerned about coronavirus yet, though I could be wrong. But.... those of you who lean away from providing health insurance for all, think about the implications of large numbers of our population not being financially able to seek health care when they have a communicable disease.
Be selfish if you must. But recognize your selfishness might come back to bite you.
This is ridiculous. They walk into an emergency room at a public hospital and will receive care regardless fo whether or not they have health insurance. People need to stop spreading this lie.
This is not a lie. First, less than 20% of the hospitals in the U.S. are public hospitals. I don't know why people think that non-profit hospitals are "public", they are not and while they are required under EMTALA to provide emergency medical care, they still charge for that care.
Second, I think people have a huge misunderstanding of what is required by EMTALA. Hospitals serving the public (not public hospitals!) are required to "stabilize and treat" anyone regardless of ability to pay, but that is it. So you walk in with the sniffles, they are required to assess if you have an Emergency Medical Condition and then they can discharge you with no further care. They are not required to provide any follow up care either. At my local ER you'd be charged $1800 for that assessment, a bill you would be obligated to pay.
Third, I think there is a greater point to be made that people will avoid care due to costs, even those with insurance.
I think it's quite reasonable to make the point that all people having access to quality medical care is part of our public health infrastructure, and a part that the U.S. is currently failing at.