Can I take my 2 year old toddler to ER even he doesn't have any kind of insurance? But he was born in USA?

If your child needs medical attention, you can take him to any emergency room and they shouldn’t turn you away, regardless of your ability to pay.

I can’t move his arm since yesterday, I think I need to take him there..

please go now.

You can, of course. Do it! Caring for your child is the most important thing!

At the hospital, they will figure out about payment. If he doesn’t have insurance, they’ll figure out if he is eligible for insurance, like SCHIP or Medicaid. They might enroll you, too, if you have no insurance.

Even if he isn’t insurable, they’ll provide care. Worry about payment later. Hospitals usually send you a very scary bill, but if you call them, and explain your situation, they will almost always reduce the bill by a lot: perhaps a half, or even more.

But go. If your kid is sick, get care. That’s the first thing. Worry about paying later. Seeriously. In this country, health care provides must provide care, no matter what the ability of the patient is to pay.

Also, while you’re there, learn about a clinic you can be referred to for regular primary care. This is much less expensive than emergency room care. Good luck!

yes we will go, just awaiting for hubby, thanks all, and he has his clinic of primary care, it’s just that I will prefer the ER because they will be able to do some Xray if he needs it..

I believe they can not turn anyone away. Get him there.

And when everything settles down, see if there isn’t some kind of insurance in your state that covers, at least, children. I think some states do make sure children are covered.

well the thing is that I already applied for chip but we didn’t qualified, we make to much money they said…

What state are you in? Sometimes there are charities that can help. But mostly, know that if you have to pay out of pocket, you can do it over time. Just talk to the hospital. If they give you a hard time, there are advocacy organizations in most states that can help you negotiate, or find other sources of payment.

ok thanks you again!! Oh! By the way, we are in Texas state…

Ooooh. Dunno about Texas. My understanding—and this is only a general impression—is that they don’t do as well as many other states in getting people insured.

But, it doesn’t matter. It will work out. Important thing is to get your child cared for. Please let us know how it goes.

No ER in any state can turn someone away based on their ability to pay. What happens after they treat you is a different story, but get help first, worry about the cost later.

The last I heard is that while no public hospital can refuse to provide care for inability to pay, private hospitals can. That said, if you end up at a private hospital, they’ll direct you to a public one.

Private hospitals cannot, by law, turn anyone away who walks into their emergency department. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act requires all hospitals that accept medicare money in any form to provide emergency care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status. If the issue is a serious one, but the patient (i.e. your son) is stable, he can legally be transferred to another hospital, but only if those conditions are met. They MUST provide basic medical assessment and treatment, independent of your situation. Go as soon as you can. Best wishes.

this is why I love the NHS it might have it’s flaws, but at least you don’t have to worry about payment (although given the sort of person who turns up at A&E
maybe they should charge)

@Shilolo: Thanks for the update…I appreciate it!

thanks everyone, my baby is fine, took him to ER

Oh, that’s good news, glad to hear it :)

of course now we have to pay like $700 but the baby worths everything in the world, seeing him happy and running and moving his arm: priceless!

So glad the baby is okay.