Hospital Systems Collapsing: Too Many Illegals
It was just a matter of time, with 15-16 million foreign nationals pouring across both our southern and northern borders, before health care systems started to collapse. The Biden Regime does not reimburse hospitals and doctors for medical care for Biden’s Guests. These patients have never paid insurance premiums, but federal law requires they receive the same care received by Americans and those who pay for insurance.
Americans at the border have been suffering from less or no access to local health care for over three years now because illegal aliens’ health care usually comes first. The average illegal is in worse shape than the average American due to the fact that 1) many have had little or no health care their entire lives and 2) many have trekked hundreds of miles through rough terrain. Now, citizens far from Eagle Pass, El Paso, Yuma* and other border towns are starting to pay the price for Biden’s open border policies with higher medical costs and longer waits for care.
Officials in Denver, Colorado welcome illegal aliens with open arms even though they claim that Denver is not a sanctuary city. Now, two hospital systems in Denver admit the influx of people streaming over the border is putting strain on the system that might lead to a complete meltdown.
TWO HEALTH SYSTEMS ON THE BRINK
Ever since the Denver metro area saw thousands of illegals arrive, the cost to provide healthcare hit local hospitals with a vengeance. University of Colorado Health hospitals are the main hospital system in the Denver and Aurora area, and they’ve seen a huge increase in patients.
According to Dr. Richard Zane, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at CU School of Medicine and head of the emergency department care across the UCHealth system, “The number we believe very conservatively in the last three months is almost 2,500 patients (illegals) and probably more. And it keeps increasing every day.” That number only applies to the Aurora flagship hospital.
System-wide, hospitals in the region counted well over 5,800 new illegal aliens who received care during the three months from November 1st through January 31st. This is a 69% increase in the patient population when compared to the same period a year ago.
Zane said, “This is a societal responsibility, not just a hospital responsibility. And it’s in the many, many millions of dollars.” According to Zane, they “will not deny emergency care. But at some point, access is impeded for everyone.”
Doctors, nurses and all staff members are working longer hours and taking on extra work, but there are still limits. Denver Health Medical Center also said it was facing financial burdens in January, to the point where it expects to turn some patients away.
Some of the increased costs comes in the form of interpreters’ fees since there are many “language barriers” and “cultural barriers,” according to Zane.
ILLEGALS WILL BREAK THE SYSTEM
Denver Health saw approximately 20,000 visits from 8,000 illegals who came from Central America in 2023 alone. The issues range from dental problems and mental health counseling to doctor and emergency room visits. This influx created a $2 million loss for the system last year, which follows a $35 million loss from 2022, although it received a $20 million boost from the state, private donors, and Kaiser Permanente Colorado in 2022.
Denver Health CEO Donna Lynne has asked city council members to help provide financial support for the hospital system. The most glaring issue is that these costs will most likely transfer to patients who are insured as the hospital system’s margins are way down.
“What I think is not being said is that Denver Health is at a critical, critical point, and that we need to take this up in 2024. While I have tremendous compassion for what’s going on, it’s heartbreaking, it’s going to break Denver Health,” she said.
Isn't it nice to be treated like a second rate citizen by the current anti-American administration!
It seems to me that there should be multiple dozens of industry groups that by now should have figured out that the Biden administration and the Democratic Party are destroying their businesses with lockdowns, mandates, open borders, unpayable minimum wages, etc. I'd expect these industries to have some considerable billions of dollars that they could be wisely investing in propaganda designed to convince the average American moron that his stupid job is on the line in the 2024 election. Where is this ad campaign? Or are they waiting for unfunded "conservatives" like us to do the job for them?