Posted on 06/13/2005 9:19:27 AM PDT by Happy2BMe
Hospital emergency room workers in Santa Fe will begin asking some patients for immigration documents to determine whether federal money can be used to pay for their care.
The change stems from an announcement by the Bush administration in May that it will provide $1 billion over four years nationwide to cover the costs of acute care of undocumented immigrants.
New Mexico qualifies for $5.1 million for the 2005 fiscal year based on the state's 53,620 apprehensions of undocumented immigrants between April 2003 and March 2004, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
But some national immigrant-advocacy groups are concerned that the program will hinder immigrants from getting medical attention.
"We believe this program will undermine efforts to ensure that all members of the community can seek the health care they need," said Tanya Broder, an attorney with the National Immigration Law Center in Oakland, Calif.
Rick Doxtator, chief financial officer at St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, said the program represents "another source of support for this segment of the community and for the hospital."
Hospital staff are being trained to determine eligibility by asking patients three questions, which they will start doing next month, he said.
A hospital must try to get payment from the patient or emergency Medicaid funds first before turning to the new federal funds.
Patients can qualify for the program if they do not have legal documents such as a green card or a valid nonimmigrant visa and if they can prove they were born outside the United States.
Mexican citizens with border-crossing cards and those who have been paroled into the United States also qualify.
Doxtator said St. Vincent does not share patient information with other agencies although, under the federal program, hospitals must photocopy patients' documents and keep them on file for federal auditors.
The form also includes a notice that states "patients should be aware that the Department of Homeland Security will not access or use information related to medical care to initiate enforcement of United States immigration laws unrelated to an ongoing terrorism or criminal investigation."
Jeff Dye, president of the New Mexico Hospitals and Health Systems Association, said hospitals don't want to become Border Patrol agents by asking questions of immigrants.
"Determining eligibility (for the federal funds) is the really sticky point for hospitals," he said.
Matt Onstott, deputy director of Medicaid at the Human Services Department, said the state in 2004 reimbursed patients for $6.3 million in care under the emergency Medicaid program.
Patients seeking reimbursement under that program are not asked for immigration documents, he said.
Be Ever Vigilant ~ Bump!
Tell me we're serious about illegal immigration after this.
Anyone have an email address for Tanya Broder?
Tell me we're serious about homeland security after this.
Neither should the Minutemen, but they do what they do because the crapweasels in Washington refuse to enforce our immigration laws.
I think I'll just get rid of my expensive medical insurance with the high deductibles I took so I could just barely afford it. The premiums are killing me anyhow and the coverage ain't that great and they hassle me all the time with premium increases and they keep cutting my coverage. I can use the money to fix my old car and maybe take a vacation to the beach.
When I go to the hospital I'll just tell them (in my best broken English) I have no identification. Then I'll show them my bogus Mexican Identity card - which I can buy on nearly any street corner for around $200.
I can save a bundle on my premiums and get quality health care at the same time, and it's free!
Oh, wait a minute that's illegal and I'll be arrested? Well, isn't sneaking into this country also illegal? Oh, it is, but nobody cares about that!!??
One more measure to lower US costs.
Once the hospital treats the life-threatening problem, the illegal alien is immediately driven to the nearest medical facility in Mexico or flown back to whatever country he/she came from. Of course, that would include illegal pregnant women...
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