Allow hospitals to deny care to those who have overdose? This would be an extremely ludacris choice. How would a hospital be able to determine the OD's origins? Say your brother accidentally ODs on that speed you kept hidden in your aspirin container. Should be be denied care?
Yes. And then hammer the brother that hid the speed for murder. Execute him.
Any hospital would be liable for turning away a patient that could be mistaken for a drug user, when in fact the symptoms were caused by some other problem.
That happens today. That's what malpractice is for. For what it's worth, hospitals do a pretty damned good job of doing their best to make proper diagnoses - they have to, in order to properly treat you to save your life.
Why would that change?
How about this, then? One free OD, and you're in the computer. If you come into the hospital a second time for an overdose, you're dumped on the curb.
That way, we ensure we catch the accidentals. People don't accidentally OD twice or more. If they do, then they're stupid, and, hey, the gene pool just got skimmed.
The hospital should not have the right to deny a patient in urgent need of care under any circumstances, they are there essentially to prevent death and not to determine who gets to live and die.
That's a shame.
Sure, it may make insurance costs go up for those of us who are fortunate enough to have it, but this is necessary in our economy if you wish to have the standard of health care that is available to us.
Necessary? Nope.
That's the socialists talking.
I work for my money, and I should not have to pay for anyone else to live to my standards. Welfare, foodstamps, free health care, Social Security, etc. It's all bullshit.
Prior to the advent of socialist policies in this country (see above), charitable contributions were astronomically higher than they are now. Fraternal organizations (and others) filled the role that the nanny-state government decided it could do better (and as normal, failed at it).
On the topic of free health care, you do realize that you get BETTER service when you pay for it rather than when it's given to you for free, right?
Do you really want the lowest bidder servicing you?
Do you really want to be worked on by a doctor who doesn't set his own rates, and therefore, is motivated only enough to do the bare minimum?
Malpractice will disappear once the government owns healthcare, and then nobody will be liable for any mistakes.