>Every hospital must give immediate necessary emergency medical care. The problem comes when what is necessary can be debated. Anything other than necessary must be paid for out of pocket or with insurance.

>What happens in practice is that hospitals 'write-off' care given to illegal immigrants and they actually receive better than that given to those citizens with no insurance because the hospitial knows that the emergency care is probably all that they will receive.

Which probably takes it down to the judgement of the individual doctor. IF this is the case, I wonder about the correctness of your statement though. Will a doctor handle differently for an illegal alien or a US citizen without health insurance. Don't they write off medical care for the uninsured? If so, why ? Is this goverment policy?

>Here, and in most states, illegal immigrants can go down to the public health service and receive free immunizations but I must pay for mine and my daughters. In America, education up to the age of 16 is required by law and free, but immunizations are required to attend school as well, so in my opinion, immunizations must be free to all as well in order for education up to age 16 to be considered free. When I was in school, you received your shots AT SCHOOL. Everyone stood in line. Now, you must get your shots on your own and bring proof that you received all of your immunizations to school in order to attend.

I feel your discomfort and it is understandable. OTOH, you must realize that it is neccesary. Here in holland those immunizations are included in our healthcare insurance, so you pay indirectly for it, but in essence it is here the same. People need to be immunizeded to prevent outbreaks of dangerous and in the western world controlled deceases. It would be strange that the international world goes to every corner of the world to vacinate people against dangerous deceases (often for free) and won't be in a country like the US. It simply needs to be done. The illegal aliens do not have income (or in such cases of course will pretend to have none) and cannot pay for it, so its given for free. I'd bet this is also happening for other groups who cannot pay the bill. And again, I'm not disputing the fact that you or me who are paying for this stuff feels ripped off somewhat, but you have to ask yourself the question if you really want to stand in their shoes?

Walter,