3:48:20 to 3:48:40( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: insurance, we are still paying for them and they call it the hidden tax. mr. cardin: i thank my colleague for that question. and you're right, people who have no health insurance, they do -- the they do the only thing they can do. they go to the emergency room. they use the emergency room as their doctor. they use the emergency room when they shouldn't be using the emergency room, and it's very

3:48:41 to 3:49:01( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: expensive. it costs a lot of money. by the way, they don't pay their bills. it becomes part of what's known as uncompensated care in our hospitals. i'll tell you something else, they enter the health care system in a more serious way than they should. they don't get the preventive services they need so they get

3:49:23 to 3:49:43( Edit History Discussion )

Benjamin L. Cardin: uninsured are using at the emergency rooms,hich adds to the cost of hospital care, which adds to the cost of our insurance premiums that we pay for our family policy. in maryland that amounts to $1,100 a year. that's what you and i are paying for those who don't have health insurance because they're using the health care system and not paying their bill.