Illegal immigrants and healthcare

I do not believe that illegal immigrants should have the same access to healthcare as US citizens. For further reading, check out this article.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michelle/malkin022103.asp

I agree that US citizens, or immigrants here legally, should receive preferred treatment on transplant lists. As stated in this article, this family paid a smuggler $5000 to get here for treatment. There does exist a route whereby they could have received treatment and been here legally. It is called a medical need visa, and they are granted quite regularly. There is very little ‘red-tape’ involved, the biggest obstacle being to have a physician here who agrees to take them on as a patient. This probably would have been even cheaper than the $5000 they paid the smuggler. Further, should you not have to be a legal citizen to file a malpractice lawsuit? You are here illegally, yet you are perfectly free to to walk into court and sue someone? This makes no sense whatsoever to me. And in case you are wondering, yes they did sue. Did they win? We will never know as the University settled the case out of court, with a confidentially clause. Neither the University or the family can tell the public what the settlement involved. I am sure it was in the millions, however. I am also sure that any hospital bills involved disappeared. I do not think this operation should ever have happened. Do I think hospitals should be required to establish legal status before treatment? No, this would be inhumane, but I do believe that any type of treatment that involves enough time to investigate this should be investigated. Also, this girl somehow was covered by Medicaid. How did this happen? I agree that Medicaid, and other types of government assistance should be restricted to those here legally. Am curious how others feel.