Anchor babies

[Anonymous]

OP, you are bitter. Although this does happen, it is not an epedemic. And so what if they can sue if the doctor screws up? If a doctor screwed up my L&D, I would sue.

They aren't anchor babies if the family LEAVES the US. They are keeping options open, that's all.

[takoma]

Anonymous wrote:...

They aren't anchor babies if the family LEAVES the US. They are keeping options open, that's all.

True. Don't all parents want to give their children the best. Why should we object to people showing that they think American citizenship is the best? And don't those who oppose illegal immigration keep telling us they are all for legal immigration? Well, this is legal!

[Anonymous]

The baby may receive medical Assistance but the bill PP is talking about is the actual delivery, room services and physicians fees.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Jeff, defend this one.

I don't know that I have any responsibility to defend everything that bothers you. What I will say is that is is very difficult for Africans to get tourist visas to the US. You can bet that this couple is not a run of the mill family. You can further deduce that this couple will not be relying on Maryland taxpayers to cover their hospital costs. There is actually a very active industry supporting exactly what you are describing. Families with money fly into the US, pay a lot of money to have a baby, and then fly home. As long as sufficient sums of money are exchanging hands, nobody causes a stir. it's perfectly legal and I suspect hospitals would scream to high heaven if you tried to prevent it.

i actually don't have a problem with anchor babies but what you write here simply isn't true. These patients typically do not pay cash (regardless of their home country status or wealth). If they deliver in Maryland, they elect to use Maryland Medical Assistance because it will cover all deliveries. As an ob/gyn who has delivered hundreds of these babies as part of my ER call duties, I know. I have seen their charts.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Jeff, defend this one.

I don't know that I have any responsibility to defend everything that bothers you. What I will say is that is is very difficult for Africans to get tourist visas to the US. You can bet that this couple is not a run of the mill family. You can further deduce that this couple will not be relying on Maryland taxpayers to cover their hospital costs. There is actually a very active industry supporting exactly what you are describing. Families with money fly into the US, pay a lot of money to have a baby, and then fly home. As long as sufficient sums of money are exchanging hands, nobody causes a stir. it's perfectly legal and I suspect hospitals would scream to high heaven if you tried to prevent it.

i actually don't have a problem with anchor babies but what you write here simply isn't true. These patients typically do not pay cash (regardless of their home country status or wealth). If they deliver in Maryland, they elect to use Maryland Medical Assistance because it will cover all deliveries. As an ob/gyn who has delivered hundreds of these babies as part of my ER call duties, I know. I have seen their charts.

Well I don't live in Maryland so I am not familiar with the laws. However, I personally know couples who have come to the US to give birth and those couples either had insurance that would cover the expenses or paid cash. Also, none of them delivered in the emergency room. So, you and I simply have different experiences. What I wrote is true in my experience. For the record, I also have no issue with people using legal avenues that are available to them. I have a big issue with the inherent unfairness of the entire immigration and visa issuing system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Jeff, defend this one.

I don't know that I have any responsibility to defend everything that bothers you. What I will say is that is is very difficult for Africans to get tourist visas to the US. You can bet that this couple is not a run of the mill family. You can further deduce that this couple will not be relying on Maryland taxpayers to cover their hospital costs. There is actually a very active industry supporting exactly what you are describing. Families with money fly into the US, pay a lot of money to have a baby, and then fly home. As long as sufficient sums of money are exchanging hands, nobody causes a stir. it's perfectly legal and I suspect hospitals would scream to high heaven if you tried to prevent it.

i actually don't have a problem with anchor babies but what you write here simply isn't true. These patients typically do not pay cash (regardless of their home country status or wealth). If they deliver in Maryland, they elect to use Maryland Medical Assistance because it will cover all deliveries. As an ob/gyn who has delivered hundreds of these babies as part of my ER call duties, I know. I have seen their charts.

ITA

[Anonymous]

so let me get this straight - you are an OBGYN, and you deal with the medical insurance or lack thereof as part of your job duties? I call bullshit on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:so let me get this straight - you are an OBGYN, and you deal with the medical insurance or lack thereof as part of your job duties? I call bullshit on you.

Not the OB here, another specialty, but why don't you believe pp? (I assume that language used means that you don't believe it)

[Anonymous]

I will never understand why someone would get his/her panties in a twist about something like this. It isn't an epidemic. Some people will work the system, but that is the price we pay for investing in social services.

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain to me again how to have a free all expenses paid for pregnancy?
I would like to know because from what I hear uninsured mothers have been forced to have unassisted homebirths

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain to me again how to have a free all expenses paid for pregnancy?
I would like to know because from what I hear uninsured mothers have been forced to have unassisted homebirths

Live in Maryland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain to me again how to have a free all expenses paid for pregnancy?
I would like to know because from what I hear uninsured mothers have been forced to have unassisted homebirths

You're joking, right? Walk into any emergency room in labor - they'll deliver you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain to me again how to have a free all expenses paid for pregnancy?
I would like to know because from what I hear uninsured mothers have been forced to have unassisted homebirths

You're joking, right? Walk into any emergency room in labor - they'll deliver you.

Yes they will, they have to, or transfer you out to a hospital that does deliveries if there is time.

Oh, I forgot to mention, don't worry if you don't speak a word of English, they HAVE to get a translator for you at their expense.

[Anonymous]

This is true of any country in the world. If you show up in labor, in a place with a doctor, they will deliver your baby.

We need to separate the indignation of anchor babies from the indignation over free labor and delivery. The first is a legitimate political issue, the second is a global standard of decency.

[TheManWithAUsername]

Someone should raise this issue at a GOP debate, so the audience can shout, "Let the baby die!"