Who gets free health care in the US?

Answer 1

Members of Congress get free health care...because they write the laws to get themselves taken care of first.

Most everyone else must pay some portion and premiums, even if they are privately insured or on Medicare. The state-administered Medicaid programs cover the indigent who qualify for the health care coverage under the strict state and federal criteria to define indigence. If they are totally unable to pay any portion, they can get necessary health care through that coverage. Others who are not on Medicaid and are totally unable to pay may be given care without charges from hospitals that accept federal money. The acceptance of that requires them to provide charitable coverage of any who are unable to pay. Hospitals who do not get federal funds can turn people away who can not pay.

In a sense, though, no one can get free care (other than Congress) at the end of the day. Even if a patient does not pay the providers, the providers will cover the losses by charging others more to make up the difference. Nothing is really free, somewhere down the line someone else pays through their taxes, donations, charitable/religious organizations, or premiums for private insurance.

In civilized societies, people take care of their own and want their taxes to be used to help those less fortunate. The US has a long history of that ideal, which most people believe should continue. Most citizens want to help fellow Americans and expect their taxes to go toward this type of care first before spending on foreign aid, war, unscrupulous politicians' pork barrel spending (such as the Bridge to Nowhere), and etc. The old saying, "There, but by the grace of God, go I," is motivation for most to want this as a societal obligation.