Hospitals in the U.S. are prohibited from turning away patients in dire need, but they do it all of the time anyway. Most hospitals have a charity fund that is supposed to help with these things. I think your friend needs to find someone who can help shake out some of that cash on her behalf. Meanwhile, it might do to simply camp out in the emergency room. I have a friend who had to do that recently to get her gall bladder removed because her HMO was working so slowly (on her behalf--ha!).

SRS