Posted on 05/09/2005 4:20:01 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Government to Reimburse Hospitals for Emergency Care for Illegal Aliens By Kevin Freking Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Health care providers can charge the government for emergency care provided to illegal aliens beginning Tuesday.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued final guidance Monday that sets up a system for reimbursement. Lawmakers set aside $1 billion over four years for the program, created by Medicare legislation passed in 2003.
For hospitals in border states, the additional money can mean the difference between running a profitable business or an unprofitable one, said Don May, vice president of policy for the American Hospital Association.
"I don't know if it will completely change their financial picture, but for those hospitals on the border, this is going to make a difference in ensuring they are there to treat the patients, not just the undocumented ones, but all the patients living in those communities," May said.
Two-thirds of the money will be distributed to health care providers based on a state's percentage of undocumented aliens. The remaining third will go to providers in the six states with the largest number of arrests of undocumented aliens.
The states receiving the highest amounts in the current fiscal year are California, $70.8 million; Texas, $46 million; Arizona, $45 million; and New York, $12.25 million.
Payments to providers will be made on a quarterly basis and will be adjusted proportionately if the bills exceed the state's allocation.
One group that advocates stricter immigration policies said the government's reimbursement of hospitals was the right thing to do.
(Excerpt) Read more at ap.tbo.com ...
Hmm - you gave me an idea.
The next time anyone goes to the dr, claim illegal status and you'll just reclaim some of your taxes...
If they give you a hard time, tell them to 'Prove it' and ask for the phone - but reassure them the ACLU has an 800 number so the call won't cost them anything :)
Wrong headline. The true headline is "U.S. Taxpayers to be forced to pay for illegal immigrant healthcare".
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Be Ever Vigilant!
Minutemen Patriots ~ Bump!
Gracias Jorge.
"Thats sounds like a democrat fix. Throw money at it instead of fixing the problem."
Nope it sounds like the Bush/RINO way to solve a problem. Bush is spend happy and the elites love the way he could care less about honest hardworking Americans. The RINOs spend our tax money much faster than the dems - when are conservatives going to stand up to this sham of a president.
Do we get to pay for that too? This doesn't fix the problem it only gives them even more incentive to infiltrate our country.
Not a DIME more.....
Where can I find a party that will represent the common american, not the common crook....
Any patient who "comes to the emergency department" requesting "examination or treatment for a medical condition" must be provided with "an appropriate medical screening examination" to determine if he is suffering from an "emergency medical condition". If he is, then the hospital is obligated to either provide him with treatment until he is stable or to transfer him to another hospital in conformance with the statute's directives.
This funding is reimbursement, which will serve to bring the cost of medical care down. And there are strings tied to this money:
: In a new program created under the 2003 Medicare law, the U.S. federal government is offering $1 billion to U.S. hospitals that provide emergency care for illegal immigrants. But to collect the money, the hospitals will be required to provide documentation about their patients' immigration status.
For those that don't "hear" well...let me shout that last line again:
Yes, every gubermint employee! Blackbird.
Allow me to translate this headline: US Taxpayer to Fund Illegal Alien Heal Care System.
President Bush just doesn't get it. The Senate and Congress just don't get it. This is why I have left the Republican Party after 20 years of loyal support.
The states have been crying out to Washington for years about the burden of providing health care for Illegal Aliens. Rather than actually fixing the problem by enforcing existing laws, President Bush has decided to shift the cost from the taxpayer to the taxpayer. You see, every taxpayer has already been funding the Illegal alien health care system through higher insurance premiums and higher costs of health services.
Now, while we spend $1 Billion in federal tax dollars on Illegal Alien Health Care, do you really think our insurance premiums and medical costs will decrease? Of course not. President Bush has effectiveley created a new welfare program to 'fix' a social problem.
I'll say it again and again until someone listens. Here is what must be done to fix the problem. Rather than 'reform' any laws on the books:
1) Secure our northern and southern borders with soldiers or the National Guard.
2) Enforce immigration law by fining and/or jailing companies that are employing illegal aliens. The this money to go after the more employers.
3) Clarify that the 14th Amendment does NOT guarantee citizenship by birth, but rather was enacted to allow freed slaves to become citizens.
You see - no new laws need to be created. Just enforce those that currently exist.
Along with farming, home-construction, garment-making, meat-packing, and manufacturing, President Bush seems to have discovered yet another job that "Americans won't do": Enforce Immigration Laws.
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