Should Hospitals have the right to turn away Covid patients from those who have chosen to be unvaccinated?

@Grateful4you actually, by federal law, if someone shows up in my emergency room with any diagnosis, even without insurance, I am obligated to treat them. I might wish I could turn them away, but legally and ethically I can't. Even if they are totally stupid about covid!

@samueltyler2 Exactly. Thank you for an important and professional update.

@Grateful4you my pleasure.

@Grateful4you Things will get even uglier if things get worse again and these folks have to live...or die from their choices based solely on triage.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow In many areas it's already become worse. A young guy earlier already suffered seriously from the Delta variant. I would volunteer but can't due to a highly compromised lung.

@Grateful4you Further to that. What is the least harm if someone could die from injuries from a car accident because some MAGA morons are taking up all the ICU beds?

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow That would be difficult at best. Since I retired decades before the pandemic it's a crisis I never had to deal with. My first thought is emotionally based and of course would rather treat the car accident. But my training would have taught me that initial triage would take first priority. Thus, the car accident would likely be the one to treat first objectively and without emotion.

@Grateful4you Sadly from what I have been reading in the US the Delta variant is showing no signs of peeking so some hard decisions are coming.

@PicturesOfABetterTomorrow I agree. I feel sorry for medical clinicians who are having to deal both with the stress AND the physical threat. Those poor teachers in Fla. who died because of Ron DeSantis and his blatant stupidity. He should be held personally responsible for at least manslaughter.

@Grateful4you Those of us seeing patients know the dangers and gear up for it. We are all fit tested for masks, wear masks and protective glasses or shields, we know how to protect ourselves with "universal protection," and thus are doing the best we can to avoid becoming infected. even with that, some get infected, and hopefully our immunizations will help, and we will get monoclonal antibodies should we break through and get infected. The covid/vaccine deniers are putting themselves and their families and friends and all of the rest of society at risk!