Dr. Romney has a prescription for sick Americans: Go to the emergency room!
The Republican presidential nominee reiterated his claim that uninsured Americans can find the health care they need in emergency rooms and that people do not die or suffer simply because they can't afford care.
“We don’t have a setting across this country where if you don’t have insurance, we just say to you, ‘Tough luck, you’re going to die when you have your heart attack,’ ” Romney told the Columbus Dispatch.
"No, you go to the hospital, you get treated, you get care, and it’s paid for, either by charity, the government or by the hospital," he added. "We don’t have people that become ill, who die in their apartment because they don’t have insurance."
Romney's remarks come as his running mate, Paul Ryan, will face Joe Biden in the first and only vice presidential debate on Thursday night in Danville, Kentucky. Both Romney and Ryan have called for repealing Obamacare.
On Thursday's Hardball, MSNBC host Chris Matthews said Romney seems to think "we don't need Obamacare because we put people in the emergency room."
When Matthews asked former Republican National Chairman Michael Steele if Romney's remarks was representative of the GOP health care plan, a testy Steele declared "No."
"He's giving an example that we are a caring people, that we do not leave people on the streets to die," Steele insisted.
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You can't go to the emergency room for breast cancer!
People die in their apartments every day! They do not make it to emergency rooms!
This is just wrong on so many levels. mr bigbucks who never had a problem in his whole life and has not a clue about anything that real people face when there's a medical problem. Or any other problem for that matter.
If the people of this country do not know who they are dealing with in terms of Mitt Romney by now, they are sure to find out day one if he wins this election. Mitt is a liar who will say and do anything to save his lying face. Furthermore, Mitt is not running for the presidency because he loves America, this man only loves himself and his deep pocket and that's where Iran comes into play; if you get my gist. I do not want America to wage another senseless war, so, I am voting Obama.
Romney is such an out of touch jacka-s. Most of his statements make my stomach churn.
I can't wait to get to the polls to vote Obama.
Go to the emergency room.....great, I'm going to drop my healthcare insurance if it's free at the ER. Is the ER going to pay for my monthly medications if I can't afford healthcare? Will they give me preventative care at the ER? My pap smear, my mammograms, my diabetic supplies, my catheters if I can't afford healthcare. Will the ER fix my retinal detachment, do my injections for macular degeneration, do my cataract surgery when I'm so blind I can no longer see? I'm at risk for colon cancer, will they do my colonoscopy when I need one, or should I just wait until I'm pretty sure I have cancer? Will they follow me and give me the treatment I need for depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder? Will they treat my high risk pregnancy and do all the necessary tests to insure my baby has the greatest chance of being born healthy? It's very sad so many in our country are poor and unable to afford healthcare insurance. What is sadder yet is, although I make a lower middle class wage, my healthcare premiums are rising to the point within two years, if the trend continues, I will not be able to afford it either. Hey...it's good to know though that when that happens, all I need to do is go to the emergency room!
Mitt Romney is what he always has been, a rich entitled ass who knows nothing.
This is wrong. Oh, ny God, please let not this man (Romney) be president of our great country. My heart cry because I have never heard in my life a politican that has no sympathy for human beings. This is sad my dear lord. Please help the American people and rescue us my dear lord. My heart is aching for all my people. This man truly do not care for us. Dear lord do not let us suffer with this man. We need a gentle heart and that is Obama/Biden.
Obama/Biden for President and VP 2012
A study published recently stated, that if you go to the emergency room for say, a heart attack, you are far more likely to die if you don't have any insurance. Noc insurance, they will only give you the minimum care they are required to to.
It is TOUGH LUCK if you are uninsured. Romney is WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Personally, I favor Single Payer, Medicare for all or (GASP!) socialized medicine like they have in Canada and Europe.
God, if Obama and Biden let Romney get away with stuff like this, they deserve to lose!
I beg to differ! Maybe not dying, but I have an unemployed brother who lives with me. Said bro got hid by a car almost 2 years ago - uninsured driver. His right leg was broken, but the ER in LA did not catch the fracture. 5K in bills and 3 doctors later, we know he needs surgery but for the last 2 years I have not found a place, a charity, ANYTHING in Los Angeles which will take care of my brother. Even though he is now in process of getting some basic health care getting taken care of (won't know about orthopedic services availability for another couple of months), I have had to negotiate with hospitals and ER doctors who were negligent in diagnosing the fracture to begin with, and had to prove with mountain of paper work that he has no income AT ALL in order to get significant discounts off the bills. But not off subsequent care, because he is a male in his 30's and lower-cost care is geared towards women and children. I would like Mitt Romney to donate about 42K for the surgery to repair the broken bone (now no longer considered an emergency), which healed the wrong way. Will he? I am not holding my breath on that one.
Google "PBS documentary Sick Around The World" that examines 5 of the best healthcare systems in the world, of 5 capitalist countries who have systems that keep insurance companies in play but regulated by the gov't, non-profit, and citizens share cost with employers. No separate Medicare, Medicaid...one system for all, from birth to death, no restrictions, with a priority on PREVENTATIVE healthcare. Their results of healthier citizens, longevity and lower costs put our system to shame. Obama's plan is a step in that direction but until we get the profit out of healthcare by giving private insurance an ultimatim: work with us if you want to stay involved or we'll replace you with government run (socialized) medicine. Private insurance spends obscene amounts of money on CEO salaries of average $30 million per year, dividends to shareholders, huge marketing budgets and worse, to increase their already bloated profits, deny benefits and claims to their insured. They fund hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign contributions to those politicians that promise to keep the status quo. I am a recently retired medical management administrator. Watch the PBS videos online and see what you think & then encourage your elected representatives to do the same.