New Jersey man falls into coma, wakes up in Poland

[Contrary1]

I thought this was going to describe a sick man who got put on the wrong flight. Disgusting.

"Sixty-nine-year-old Wladyslaw Haniszewski had lived in the U.S. for about 30 years. But when the New Jersey resident fell into a coma he awoke to find himself in his native country of Poland.

The New York Daily News reports that Haniszewski fell victim to a growing phenomenon in which uninsured immigrants are deported by U.S. hospitals that do not want to get stuck paying for their treatment.

“Imagine being carted around like a sack of potatoes," said Polish Consul General Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, who argues that Haniszewski was placed on a chartered flight while still unconscious, never giving his consent to being shipped to a hospital in a country he had not lived in for decades.

The practice of medical repatriation has reportedly become increasingly common. One immigration advocacy group told The Associated Press in April that it has documented at least 800 cases of individuals being deported from hospitals without consent over the past six years in at least 15 states. However, the actual number is believed to be much higher because of the significant number of cases that go unreported..."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/jersey-man-falls-coma-wakes-poland-144309711.html

[Scootaloo]

1. For-profit medicine once again

Seriously, there are just some hings that should not be tied to profit motive.

[liberal_at_heart]

2. just how dehumanized are we going to become? We are becoming such monsters.

[freshwest]

3. OFMG, he could have died on that plane. What makes the hospital think Poland would care for him?

Years ago, they were dumpings of indigent patients, unable to fend for themselves, in a 'Skid Row' area of Los Angeles. We still have clowns saying we have the best healthcare system in the world and that anyone can get care for free, especially if they're foreigners.

I don't know if ACA can do anything about someone who is not a citizen, but this needs to get a lot of sunshine and hell raised about it. I'm sure it's not part of the ACA, and that hospitals didn't ask permission for it, either.

The expansion of Medicaid through the ACA should have paid the bills. If Christie refused the expansion, this scandal is on his head.

The practice of hospitals turning people away, despite all propaganda to the contrary and its 'being illegal' does happen, and dumping is not new.

[cstanleytech]

4. Except this case isnt about them turning people away but rather then basically deporting people

back to their home country because the government stops paying once the people are stable so the hospital either has to absorb the costs or find them a place to go which is usually their home country.
The only real solution imo is universal healthcare not just in our country but worldwide.

[freshwest]

5. Are they citizens, though, as I think I asked?

If they were indigent here even if not citizens, why didn't New Jersey have the Medicaid extension that would have paid for it through the ACA?

My state did so, and we have emigrants who just arrived and are getting a combo Medicare, Medicaid and Medicare Plus. For free. It covers everything, these people would have been covered here.

Of course it's not just emigrants, but all people within a certain range get it too. It is, for all purposes universal health care now. It's complete, transportation, home help, etc.

This is happening right now and it's why the Libertarians and GOP hate it. But those who are able to get low or no cost insurance are very happy.

[cstanleytech]

6. Medicaid varies state to state so I am not sure. nt

[malaise]

7. They do not care whether Poland cares for him or not

They refuse to care for him.

[Jim Lane]

8. This is deportation without an opportunity to be heard.

Complaining about "deportation without consent" doesn't cut it. Lots of people are deported without their consent.

But the most fundamental meaning of due process is that the person should have notice and the opportunity to be heard. A person in a coma can't be given any meaningful opportunity to be heard on the issue. At a deportation hearing, he might have been able to show that the hospital had made an error and that he was not subject to deportation.

[felix_numinous]

9. Reminds me of mentally ill

patients being discharged and bussed to other states. Deplorable.

[Earth_First]

10. "Medical Repatriation?!"

I'm losing complete faith in humanity.

[graywarrior]

11. Disgusting!

[rug]

12. It was an improvement.