>Well, here in the states emergency rooms are mandated by law to provide care for true emergencies. That individual will not (cannot, actually) (notwithstanding human error) be denied.
>

Doug;

Here in Northern California, a number of hospital emergency rooms have been closed to "reduce costs". This places a burden upon those hospitals that do provide emergency services as well as patients in need of emergency care. County hospitals do provide emergency services but are few and far between.

Additionally, large corporations are buying individual hospitals and closing them. We are experiencing this type of activity in San Jose, where a corporation has purchased San Jose Hospital and Alexian Brothers (formally a Catholic hospital) and is closing both.

The medical industry is indeed an interesting entity. It is all about money and not medical care is a theme we hear and feel all too often.

Tom