Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

U.S. to help fund immigrant care [Hospitals who treat illegal immigrants will get $1B]
Miami Herald ^ | Tue, Jan. 27, 2004 | DAVID OVALLE

Posted on 01/27/2004 8:02:43 PM PST by yonif

A little-publicized provision in the Medicare bill passed late last year will make about $1 billion available to hospitals, such as Jackson Memorial Hospital, that provide emergency care to undocumented immigrants.

The money would chip away at the growing amount of so-called ''charity care'' that many hospitals say poses a serious financial burden. In 2001, the last year for which figures were available, Jackson Memorial spent $37 million to treat about 6,600 uninsured and undocumented patients.

Nationally, some estimates by healthcare analysts place the total amount hospitals pay to treat undocumented people who cannot pay their medical bills at about $2 billion. Florida ranks behind California, Texas and Arizona in the amount its hospitals spend on care for undocumented patients.

Much of the new federal money, which will be allocated over four years, will be given directly to hospitals in states that have the highest numbers of undocumented migrants. The Department of Health and Human Services, which administers Medicare and Medicaid, must still hammer out a formula to decide how much to give to individual hospitals that qualify for the money.

Officials said they could not provide an estimate of how much money Florida hospitals would receive.

Federal officials said they hope to have an application ready by September for funds that will become available starting next year.

A TENSE ISSUE

The issue of providing healthcare to illegal immigrants has become an intensifying source of controversy as the cost of healthcare has continued to soar. The General Accounting Office is expected later this year to release a report that will examine the issue of hospitals paying to treat undocumented immigrants.

''We're very interested in any program that is going to help us offset losses. We will certainly be looking at aggressively pursuing the money,'' said Conchita Ruíz-Topinka, a spokeswoman for Jackson. ``We're not going to step away from the commitment to the community.''

A study released last year by the Florida Hospital Association found that in 2002, hospitals in the state spent at least $40.2 million to treat 705 uninsured foreign nationals.

GUARANTEE OF CARE

By law, hospitals cannot turn away patients who show up in their emergency rooms or ask them about their immigration status.

At Jackson, one of the busiest public hospitals in the country, hospital administrators ask patients only to prove that they live in Miami-Dade County.

Jackson's charity care is funded mostly by taxpayer dollars and fees collected from publicly or privately insured patients.

Other Florida hospitals have racked up considerable bills -- and headlines -- for their medical treatment of undocumented migrants.

Earlier this year, Martin Memorial Medical Center in Stuart was criticized for returning an uninsured, undocumented patient to his native Guatemala after he racked up $2 million in care over more than three years.

Hospital spokeswoman Lisa McCluskey said that the hospital would analyze the Medicare bill's provision for reimbursement. ''It's too early to say if we're going to apply,'' she said.

CARRYING THE BURDEN

U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, a Republican from Palm Beach County who pushed for the GAO study, said that compensating Florida is the right thing to do because the government has not done enough to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the state.

''It's a good first step. The burden that falls on these local hospitals has been extraordinary,'' Foley said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aliens; healthcare; illegalaliens; illegals; immigrantlist; immigrants
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-58 next last
To: yonif
That's a drop in the bucket of course. Perhaps if the American taxpayers in other states can get a taste of what the Western states face daily, they'll wake up and oppose the illegal invasion. They're such a drain on our states in the West, our taxes keep going up and up to subsidize the cheap labor that benefits a FEW. I'm sick and tired of it.
21 posted on 01/27/2004 8:39:20 PM PST by ETERNAL WARMING (SHUT THE DOOR IN 2004!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: yonif
re: By law, hospitals cannot turn away patients who show up in their emergency rooms or ask them about their immigration status. )))

Hospitals can shut down their emergency rooms, however, to everyone.

22 posted on 01/27/2004 8:41:43 PM PST by Mamzelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dagnabbit
Divide that ranch out near Crawford, TX into 1-acre parcels. Each time an illegal skips a big hospital bill, the hospital gets 1 acre.

You do realize that in AZ alone it would take about one morning shift to devastate W's ranch! LOL I like your plan! He wants em, let him pay for them.
23 posted on 01/27/2004 8:41:45 PM PST by ETERNAL WARMING (SHUT THE DOOR IN 2004!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: ETERNAL WARMING
Shouldn't we send the bill to Mexico?
24 posted on 01/27/2004 8:42:16 PM PST by Taylor42
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Taylor42
Shouldn't we send the bill to Mexico?

That would be a waste of time. Perhaps the bill should go to the GAO tho. That's a thought.
25 posted on 01/27/2004 8:44:30 PM PST by ETERNAL WARMING (SHUT THE DOOR IN 2004!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: yonif; Calpernia; JustPiper
"U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, a Republican from Palm Beach County who pushed for the GAO study, said that compensating Florida is the right thing to do because the government has not done enough to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the state."

Uh, oh, I seeeeee.... Because the stupid lawmakers we elect -- who are all highly paid with great pensions and no medical care worries -- make big boo-boos and don't enforce the stupid laws they make, we little taxpayers have to pay for illegals health needs even if we don't even have any damn darn heathcare plans of our own! Unbelievable...

You know, as soon as lawmakers get a clue as to who it is who pays for all thi shi_, then we will all be better off. The government doesn't have money growing on trees! WE little people are the government -- the government is not an inanimate object. Us hardworking peons are! It is we who sacrifice for illegals and yet who is it who pays our way??? No one.

Do illegal aliens get notices from the collection agencies when they can't immediately pay their hospital, doctor, tests, and medicine bills? Well, normal taxpaying, legal citizens with no heathcare plans often do.

26 posted on 01/27/2004 8:45:18 PM PST by Donna Lee Nardo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ETERNAL WARMING
Yeah but then they'd use more tax payer money to pay the bill :(
27 posted on 01/27/2004 8:45:21 PM PST by cyborg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: All
USA

At least six of the highjackers in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks broke immigration laws and potentially could have been stopped
from entering the country, according to a preliminary report by a
special commission investigating them. During two days of hearings that
ended Tuesday, the bipartisan panel also said the Federal Aviation
Administration downplayed the threat of suicide hijackers before the
attacks, considering aircraft bombings a more immediate danger. The
commission requested a two-month extension for its final report, saying
it won't be ready by the May 27 deadline.
28 posted on 01/27/2004 8:48:21 PM PST by Dubya (Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,but by me)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Stopislamnow
after all it would be much to difficult to round up and jail 8-10 million tax protestors right? LOL.

And may I add, it's not that you're breaking the law, but why. As in, "well they want a job, they have it rough in Mexico, blah blah blah."

As long as you have a reason to break the law, all's cool.

29 posted on 01/27/2004 8:51:59 PM PST by Lijahsbubbe (One person CAN change the world, but most of the time, you probably shouldn't)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Donna Lee Nardo
the government is not an inanimate object

Exactly. All articles about "government" spending should read "the taxpayer's money", instead of "government".

30 posted on 01/27/2004 8:54:27 PM PST by Lijahsbubbe (One person CAN change the world, but most of the time, you probably shouldn't)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: SouthernFreebird
I agree with you. I posted something somewhat simliar after your post. I should have read all the responses -- especially yours -- before I posted. I was so mad, though, I just immediately responded!
31 posted on 01/27/2004 9:11:05 PM PST by Donna Lee Nardo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Lijahsbubbe
free health care for all Americans!!!!!

the billions of $$$$ being spent on the border patrol, a billion a week for airport security, the ongoing billions to provide healthcare and infrastructure in Irag and Afganistan, would give every man, woman and child, in the US free health care. Never mind going to Mars. Totals must be in the trillions by now.

32 posted on 01/27/2004 9:19:14 PM PST by biffalobull
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: yonif
taxpayers money
33 posted on 01/27/2004 9:23:22 PM PST by fatso
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TruthShallSetYouFree
Anyone who doesn't leave the country voluntarily will be deported,

Deported!!!!!!! How dare you suggest the dreaded D word in reference to our guests. Although that would be following the law, it might hurt their feelings and make some highly sensitive Americans wring their hands and cry. >sarcasm<

34 posted on 01/27/2004 9:25:27 PM PST by dougherty (I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. -Michelangelo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Zipporah
little-publicized provision in the Medicare bill passed late last year will make about $1 billion available to hospitals, such as Jackson Memorial Hospital, that provide emergency care to undocumented immigrants

Nice Republican compassion, however they are going to be about 20 billion short.

Time to raise taxes on the lazy American's.

35 posted on 01/27/2004 9:27:46 PM PST by Joe Hadenuf (I failed anger management class, they decided to give me a passing grade anyway)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: dougherty
I agree, suggesting these illegal aliens be deported is so extreme. I think we need more compassionate Republican's.
36 posted on 01/27/2004 9:29:26 PM PST by Joe Hadenuf (I failed anger management class, they decided to give me a passing grade anyway)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: yonif
Just a minor note on newspeak: "undocumented" appears 9 times, while "illegal" only appears twice. The author's email is dovalle@herald.com
37 posted on 01/27/2004 9:30:42 PM PST by lonewacko_dot_com (http://lonewacko.com/blog)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Joe Hadenuf
We are pretty lazy aren't we? I mean, we only work until what, May, or something like that to support everyone and everything else but ourselves and our families!

Scandalously lazy!
38 posted on 01/27/2004 9:37:47 PM PST by Lijahsbubbe (One person CAN change the world, but most of the time, you probably shouldn't)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: dougherty
in reference to our guests

That reminds me of a song from "Beauty and the Beast", (with amended lyrics).

Be our guest, be our guest, put our welfare to the test!"

39 posted on 01/27/2004 9:40:32 PM PST by Lijahsbubbe (One person CAN change the world, but most of the time, you probably shouldn't)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: ETERNAL WARMING
They're such a drain on our states in the West, our taxes keep going up and up to subsidize the cheap labor that benefits a FEW. I'm sick and tired of it.

Shame on you. Don't you realize what an honor and privilege it is to provide free health care to the moochers of the world?

40 posted on 01/27/2004 9:41:01 PM PST by dougherty (I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. -Michelangelo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-58 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson