We Need Public Hospitals More than Ever in this Economy

The public hospitals closings' impact on the population and the health care system is that less people will get health care (particularly the poor). For example, with MLK-Harbor Hospital closing, those patients that are gunshot victims and are poor but not quite poor enough to qualify for Medicaid for example will have to be sent to an ER at a private hospital. These private hospitals can't refuse to accept a dying person. Somebody will be picking up the bill for this gunshot victim because the gunshot victim will not be able to afford their treatment. Most likely the bill will be picked up by private hospital/health care insurance companies, and those people who pay the premiums for their health care at the private hospitals. This means that the premiums will go higher and less people will be able to afford health care. This means that those who can no longer afford health insurance will join the un-insured. This could end up to be a vicious cycle. Particularly in this economy, there will many more people who can't afford health insurance. Hence, when people need public hospitals the most, more and more public hospitals are closing. What a shame!