Well the EMTALA legislation from the mid-80s requires hospitals to provide treatment to all regardless of ability to pay their debt and yes it is a travesty. If a 76 year old man can't provide for himself and his family won't provide for him and his friends won't provide for him and the local tax-exempt church won't provide for him.....wlll then it isn't the government's right to steal my money to provide for him. People's choices in life need to have consequences instead of being bailed out by the government at every whimper.