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 ...
ROTFLMAO That does not pay 10 % of the F'n cost!!
LOL. Yes, it is. But it's too sensible for politicians to even CONSIDER, I'm sure.
Want to try again? How about a 'Republican fix'.
This refers to the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, signed into law by George W. Bush on Dec. 8, 2003.
I agree. Who signed this into law?
Thats my point exactly. A republican trying a democrat fix.
Aha! Now I understand.
Darned good question. Since we've got the majority, I can only assume it was our good friends, the Republicans.
Well, your good friends, the Republicans wrote it, but it was your very good friend, George W. Bush, that signed it into law.
Totally disgusting.
Its an effort to steal the illegal immigrant vote from the rats and its nothing more than political pandering.
The US boder is only 2000 miles long with Mexico and its time we put drug dealers and rapeists to work BUILDING THAT WALL!
If I sneak over and back, may I please have free health care?
You can buy a bottle of Tylenol at 7-11 for what, $4-6, ?
Care to wager what the charge to the "government" will be for one pill?
Too bad they can't charge the Mexican government for this...tie it in to what they ship across the border...something.
LVM
So if I claim that I'm an illegal alien instead of a citizen, my hospital doesn't charge me and I don't need medical insurance? The most insulting thing about all these plans (free license, free tuition, free hospitals), is that you don't even get those if you are a US citizen.
And how does that free-licenses-for-illegals work, when US citizens can't get a DL in another state if they have a suspended license? If he claims he is from a different country (or planet), no check is made for a suspended license in different state. Or I guess they check the thumbprint in a database. Fuck I don't know, none of this makes sense.
In any event, if they now know there is something "illegal" going on, don't they have a responsibility to report any criminal activity within their walls to the authorities? And if so, don't the police have the duty to address the problem of such criminal activity?
Sometimes I feel like Alice in Wonderland.
Well I assumed the president signed the bill into law. He is, after all, the president.
What an opportunity for the hospitals...They'll have signs out front competing for the business...
And wait til the news hits Mexico City...They'll have to build new highways just to keep the line moving...
Who thinks up this stuff? What's the point of voting Republican? Who can I vote for that is for smaller government? And no, I don't live in Ron Paul's district.
>>>>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.>>>>>>
Barely a drop in the bucket !!!
http://biz.yahoo.com/ibd/050428/issues.html?.v=1
(snip)
What we do know is uninsured undocumented workers are breaking local governments.
In Southern California they have contributed to the $1.2 billion deficit that is plaguing the Los Angeles County Health Department. Last year alone the county spent $340 million to treat uninsured patients while the state was saddled with $1.4 billion in unreimbursed health care costs. Texas spent $850 million for the same reason. In Arizona the price tag was $400 million.
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