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 ...
Thats sounds like a democrat fix. Throw money at it instead of fixing the problem.
And where does government get the money? (sarc)
Heh, the Government (i.e. the citizen people) should pay for criminal aliens health care
FREE HEALTHCARE FOR CROOKS NOW!
My tax dollars?
Increased incentive for illegals to "come on over!"?
Do I laugh, or do I cry...
More tax dollars wasted. And meanwhile, tax payers who DO pay into the system are being denied care in some overcrowded hospitals in border states.
The money tree.
ping
Wishful thinking...
This seems to be about keeping the hospitals from going under. Now that this is an official item on the budget, perhaps the taxpayer public will put more pressure on Congress to wall off the borders and kick more illegal aliens out of the country.
This should head line----- American TAX Payers to pay for hospital care for illegal aliens...
If only we COULD charge the Mexican goverment. I can dream...
My sentiments exactly. Let's hope this is so.
JUST $1 BILLION? That won't scratch the surface. Particularly when you consider that most illegals go to the hospital emergency room for what most of us would go to the Dr.'s office for "routine" care and ailments.
And as someone else posted - sounds like a RAT fix to me. Now, I wouldn't have a problem with this if the cost of the new "program" were billed directly to Vincente Fox and Mexico.
And then we pay some more to incarcerate the crooks.
$5.8 Billion/yr cost to incarcerate criminal aliens
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1399768/posts
There. That's more accurate.
Health care providers can charge the Mexican government ...
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Yes, our Washington government at work. Taking our tax dollars to play their politics with, by funding criminal invaders of the U.S. -- speak to me not, Washington, of LAWS, of MORALS, of VALUES, of BORDERS, of SOVERIGNTY, of our CONSTITUTION, of WHAT IS RIGHT for the REAL citizens of this country.
It is really comforting to know that Washington thinks they have CARTE BLANCHE to give away the United States to illegal, criminal foreign invaders --- a real pretty picture.
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