Georgia Gov. Deal- Cut access to the ER for poor people.

[n2doc]

Gov. Nathan Deal has often called on Congress to reconsider the Affordable Care Act. But on Monday evening, he pushed his former Washington colleagues to revisit a separate health care law that fewer politicians openly critique.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act is a 1986 law that requires hospitals to provide emergency health care treatment to anyone who needs it, regardless of citizenship or their ability to pay. It’s provided life-saving care to countless people, but it’s also strained hospital resources and turned emergency rooms into the first stop, instead of a last resort, for some.

“If they really want to get serious about lowering the cost of health care in this country, they would revisit another federal statute that has been there for a long time,” Deal told a crowd of dozens at a University of Georgia political science alumni gathering. “It came as a result of bad facts, and we have a saying that bad facts make bad law.”

Legislative supporters in the 1980s cited cases of pregnant women being turned away from emergency rooms because they couldn’t pay. Deal, who long served on a key House health panel, said lawmakers can build in protections for pregnant women and others while tightening access to ERs in other ways. Said the governor:

“I think we should be able in this passage of time to figure out ways to deal with those situations but not have the excessive costs associated with unnecessary visits to the emergency room.”

more
http://www.times-herald.com/local/20140225-deal-ER2014-02-25T11-11-11

That's crooked Deal for ya- if you are uninsured and poor, go die in a ditch.

[Feral Child]

1. Our governors

get worse and worse in this state.

[brer cat]

4. Every time I think we have reached the bottom of the barrel,

they dig down and find someone even worse. Deal is pure slime.

A belated welcome to DU, Feral Child.

[Feral Child]

40. Thanks, brer cat!

[MrScorpio]

2. Can't pay? Well die already. It's the Republican way. nt

[SamKnause]

3. Don't get SICK !!!

If you do get sick, DIE quickly !!!!

[LuvNewcastle]

5. Evil. That's all there is to it.

[woo me with science]

22. + 1

[truebluegreen]

6. Same old Republican Health Care Plan: Die Quickly. nt

[Demeter]

7. No Deal! And you can take that Every Way Possible!

[Ilsa]

8. Ammo for Carter. nt

[Sienna86]

9. Rachel Maddow covered this Friday night

What kind of evil inhabits the heart and minds of those who actively seek to cause harm to others?

[ananda]

10. So, FDR gave us the New Deal ..

.. and now we get the Crooked Deal, as you say. Good one!

[surrealAmerican]

11. What an idea.

... and guess what, we could lower health care costs even more by just closing down all the hospitals, and not paying doctors ever! There couldn't possibly be any downside to this - just think how much money we'd save!

[Crunchy Frog]

23. No, the healthcare industry is far too profitable for that to be a reasonable approach.

You need to structure the system in such a way that you relieve people of all their assets, and then leave them to die in a ditch when they can't pay anymore. That way the healthcare system can do its job of milking all the money that they possibly can off of human suffering.

[kairos12]

12. The race to the bottom is going through the basement floor. NO surprise.

[jtuck004]

13. Millions, perhaps tens of millions of people will agree with this, to their own detriment.

One more piece of the country to destroy.

[valerief]

14. But but but but REAGAN signed that! nt

[freedom fighter jh]

15. In 1986, when the law was passed,

hospitals were being converted from non-profit status to profit status. Probably, I'm guessing, this law was passed to palliate those who objected, to take away the worst -- or maybe just the most obvious -- problems that arose from that change.

By now no one any longer questions that hospitals should be run for profit, so the law is not needed anymore. At least it's not needed to keep hospitals making money.

[Laelth]

38. Good post. Thanks. n/t

-Laelth

[hrmjustin]

16. What a creep!

[tanyev]

17. Universal health care would also take care of that problem, guv'nor.

But I'm guessing he's not in favor of that.

[rurallib]

24. and supposedly the ACA would take care of most of it

on paper anyway by insuring everyone (I am a staunch single payer advocate BTW)
Were Medicaid implemented the way it was passed many of those who use the ER would be covered.
Of course, The Roberts court and Republican governors fucked that one up.

[n2doc]

26. He has refused to expand medicaid coverage under the ACA

He has been proud to deny Georgians health care.

[kmlisle]

28. Exactly n2doc! And public hospitals are closing due to lack of funds in Georgia

Because they did not expand medicaid. Many of them are rural hospitals and probably the only game in town for the locals. This is Deal's real problem (although he is not the "real deal&quot . The part of the ACA that would have funded these hospitals - Medicaid- was refused by "No Deal" and now Hospitals will close and more people will suffer and die because of it.

[Swede Atlanta]

35. Yes.....

The majority of the closures are occurring in rural Georgia (or at least "small town" Georgia) and not in the metro Atlanta area.

What is amazing to me is that the areas outside of metro Atlanta are, by and large, redder than red whereas the closer you get to metro Atlanta and within metro Atlanta you see more purples and even blues.

So the governor is carried to office on the backs of rural Georgians. The Georgia Congressional delegation is dominated by Republicans that come from across the state but especially outside metro Atlanta.

I have a hard time understanding how people can continuously vote against their own self-interests. Sadly in Georgia there are two major reasons for this. The first is race. Racism is alive and well in Georgia (see Deal's recent comment that introducing a confederate flag version of the state license plate is consistent with honoring the state's cultural heritage).

The second is old time religion. I have several "acquaintances" who have openly told me they don't listen to the news (I'm sure Fox is on 24 x 7), watch any debates or otherwise engage in evaluating political candidates, ballot measures, etc. They go to church 2 Sundays before election day and get a handout from their church that tells them who and what to vote for. One of them showed me the pamphlet that was given in 2004.

There was a listing of all of the state-wide races including President, Congress, Senate followed by local races in metro Atlanta. There wasn't a statement of "vote for" but the list had both candidates and then and "*" that denoted 'recommended". As to ballot initiatives it was the same, especially for the anti-gay marriage amendment.

There was no justification for the endorsements. This "acquaintance" said she always takes her pamphlet into the voting booth so she can "get it right with God".

Enough said.

Luckily demographics are not favorable for Republicans in Georgia. Certainly the influx from other areas of the country as companies move headquarters and establish operations in "right to work" Georgia has had an impact. I am part of that demographic. But as well the white majority will soon be a minority in the state. Black population has not grown significantly but there have been marked increases in Asian and Hispanic groups.

Hispanics should be a natural target for Republicans. Many hispanics are Catholic and generally fairly conservative. Republicans could use the strong Christian tradition among Hispanics to attract them to a party that is anti-abortion, anti-gay, etc. But instead they launch wholesale attacks on undocumented workers, the poor, etc.

This has pushed this demographic into the arms of the Democratic Party. As the population becomes less and less white and also less old (state politics is controlled almost universally by fat, old white men) the political landscape is going to come and the Republicans either don't see it coming or are trying to wish it away.

[historylovr]

36. +1.

[Enthusiast]

18. This is fucking horrible.

These people imagine themselves to be good Christians.

[TheKentuckian]

39. EXACTLY what I was thinking. Little makes me more sick than the Mammon worshiping supply side Jesus

sick fucks.

[malaise]

19. The bumper stickers should be simple

No Deal

[durablend]

20. Next step of course...

Require full disclosure of financial records before admittance for everyone else (save for the 'special people' with $$$$...wouldn't want to inconvenience them). Non qualifying persons will be advised "We're sorry, but space in our establishment is not available for you".

Still think "conservatives" don't want a country for only the rich? Anyone? Bueller?

[Politicub]

21. Denying poor women emergency treatment is a GOP virtue

It's cruel and psychotic. And if this kind of thing gets the GOP base excited, just imagine what they have in store if they ever get 3 branches of government again.

[Glitterati]

25. Still not ONE word in any Georgia press about this

Not ONE word in the local Georgia papers about Nathan Deal's little "solution."

Check out the AJC:
http://www.ajc.com/

Or the on air news channels, ABC/NBC/FOX/CBS
http://www.wsbtv.com/
http://www.11alive.com/
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/

I saw it on Rachael last night and started watching for any local press mentions of this.........not a word still.

[giftedgirl77]

27. What a suprise....

[Glitterati]

29. Stunning, isn't it?

Poor Rachael. She's such a supporter of local reporters and she'll soon find she has to carry this story all by herself because there's not a local who has the courage to report it.

[giftedgirl77]

30. I live down here right on the border of GA & SC

I would be shocked to see anything like that reported here. Hell I saw a campaign ad for Lindsey Graham the other day & I would've sworn up & down it was a negative ad, nope it was his own ad talking about all the negative shit he has done in DC. I was blown over.

[Glitterati]

33. It's a pretty heartbreaking state to live in

Ugly abounds.

If my whole family wasn't here, I'd move so far away.........

I do think, however, this is more of that Republican "deeply held beliefs" they were trying so hard to legislate right along side Arizona.

[giftedgirl77]

37. My parents are in FL...

We got stationed at FT Gordon, I was medically retired in December hubby has 4 years to go. Thankfully my best friend got out of the military & moved to the same town as me or I would lose my mind. I stick out like a sore thumb but she is here & dad just got diagnosed with cancer in the spine (already lost a leg & a lung) so I'm not going anywhere either.

[n2doc]

32. Of course not

No mention in my local Savannah rag either. Some "liberal Press"….

[CatWoman]

41. that's where I heard about it too

and I also scanned the AJC and local stations.

Not. one. fucking. WORD!!!

[Glitterati]

42. It's infuriating

Yet, every right winger screams "liberal media" in the comments of every article on the AJC.

If it weren't so sad, it would be hysterical.

[jsr]

31. Who Would Jesus Admit To The ER?

[Glitterati]

34. More of those "deeply held beliefs"

doncha know?

Very christian of these folks.......

[Chiquitita]

43. Jason Carter for Georgia Governor 2014

Just met him at a campaign dinner this week. Carter's got the goods. Would love to see him send Deal packing.