Peace: Thanks for posting that information from the Emergency Room Physicians group. It is very helpful.

I NEVER said the Emergency Room care was FREE! Obviously, anyone using the emergency room facilities is billed for the service. What I DID say, is that anyone showing up for care at an Emergency Room at a US hospital that receives any form of federal funding, cannot be turned away without being treated.

Only about fifty percent of those who do show up at ER for care pay the bill, though, evidently. The difference in cost, and the amount paid by the patient is offset by the hospital collecting more than cost from privately insured patients.

I see that some of you are already preparing yourselves for the Democrats distancing themselves from a public option, and naturally it's the Republicans fault. I think what happened was the members of Congress went home and got an ear full of what their individual party thought about the public option. Balancing the public option against not being re-elected in 2010 may have been a close call for some of them, but when push came to shove, they are going to choose holding on to their jobs.

DougR