Posted on 09/22/2007 12:04:38 AM PDT by neverdem
The federal government has told New York State health officials that chemotherapy, which had been covered for illegal immigrants under a government-financed program for emergency medical care, does not qualify for coverage. The decision sets the stage for a battle between the state and federal governments over how medical emergencies are defined.
The change comes amid a fierce national debate on providing medical care to immigrants, with New York State officials and critics saying this latest move is one more indication of the Bush administration’s efforts to exclude the uninsured from public health services.
State officials in New York and other states have found themselves caught in the middle. The New York dispute, focusing on illegal immigrants with cancer — a marginal group of unknown size among the more than 500,000 people living in New York illegally — has become a flash point for health officials and advocates for immigrants in recent weeks.
Under a limited provision of Medicaid, the national health program for the poor, the federal government permits emergency coverage for illegal immigrants and other noncitizens. But the Bush administration has been more closely scrutinizing and increasingly denying state claims for federal payment for some emergency services, Medicaid experts said.
Last month, federal officials, concluding an audit that began in 2004 and was not challenged by the state until now, told New York State that they would no longer provide matching funds for chemotherapy under the emergency program. Yesterday, state officials sent a letter to the federal Medicaid agency protesting the change, saying that doctors, not the federal government, should determine when chemotherapy is needed.
Federal health officials declined to discuss chemotherapy or the New York claims. But Dennis Smith, director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations at the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
bttt
Back in the good old days of Ellis Island, immigrants who were ill were sent home, as were those with no sponsors. That’s when we were “a nation of immigrants” instead of a squatting zone for sick, unemployed, illegal riff-raff from around the world.
Wait a minute, people.
The issue is not medical care. It is emergency medical care. Hospitals are not permitted to examine whether or not an individual is insured when providing emergency care. Such an examination would compromise the quality of that care and kill people, some of whom may be fully insured and citizens.
The issue here is “emergency”. The federal government, the Bush Administration, is saying chemotherapy for cancer does not constitute an emergency.
That is a fuzzy call. It is certainly correct in many instances. The chemo schedule for something like prostate cancer, that moves slowly, probably is not so urgent as to be called an emergency. Other instances where chemo now can kill enough cells to prevent spread . . . maybe. I would suspect that is rare.
Regardless, the point here is hospitals must provide emergency care to people without any research into their ability to pay because in an emergency taking time to do that research could kill the patient. Hard to describe chemo as falling under that category.
Thanks neverdem.
Chemotherapy is no more “emergency” medical care than surgically removing a tumor in a scheduled surgery is emergency care.
Emergency medical care is what it is. Everyone knows getting a deep cut on a foot sutured up is emergent care. Getting carpal tunnel surgery is not.
A trademark of Liberals when they attempt to change the scope of a particular piece of legislation, is that they often accomplish it not by changing the legislation itself, by by changing the meaning of the words defining ithe legislation, either broadening or narrowing the the scope of citizens affected for political reasons.
Of this approach, when they succeed, they are often quite proud.
Maybe I misunderstand you...do you think the healthcare industry will be disappointed if the administration makes it more difficult for illegals to force healthcare providers to render services on uninsured patients?
While the burden of healthcare for illegal immigrants is not financially catastrophic up where I live...yet...it IS catastrophic for many institutions in states with unusually large populations.
Additionally, the burden on the overcrowded Emergency Rooms alone that impacts the ability of insured citizens (or any citizen) to receive emergency health care is adversely impacted because the emergency rooms are full to the brim with people seeking routine healthcare.
Thanks for the ping!
Chemotherapy is NOT emergency care. It is a treatment. No way in hell should taxpaying, American citizens be paying for chemotherapy for illegal aliens.
I’ve got a question: If Castro’s health care system is so much better than ours, why aren’t they going to Cuba?
BTTT
yeah...just imagine the outcry if “we” decided ONLY people from Anglo-Saxon backgrounds could come to this country, unimpeded, without legal documents, passports, or lawful entry.
>>How about a “send the bill to Mexico” system. If Mexico (or whatever country of origin) pays, the state gets reimbursed. Otherwise it’s stiffed.<<
Mexico writes their own rules. Mexico abides by their own rules. They have never paid back one cent of the American ‘loans’. Not one red cent.
Good wishful thinking, tho.
Thank you.
Right now there is a mandate that hospitals grant care to any person that shows up at their doors. If a person with cancer shows up, even they must be stabalized, enough to return home. If hospitals do not provide this service, they can have their Medicare contract stripped out from under them. And any other government funds, can be lost as well. This would essentially shut down most hospitals.
If the federal government is going to require this, then they must pay for the services rendered to illegal immigrants.
Do I approve of illegal aliens getting free healthcare? Nope.
They belong in Mexico. That is their true home. We have not responsibilty for them, and they don’t belong here.
They can not support themselves. Citizen taxpayers of the U.S. should not have to foot the bill. It is wrong.
Yep...
Racist!!!!
“Illegal aliens are competing for jobs with Americans”
Illegal aliens are stealing jobs from Americans!
(I said, "how about if"...that means it's just a supposition....not what I'm actually thinking. What I'm really thinking is.....it shouldn't just be Anglos....preferential treatment should be given to the Irish. hehehe : )
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.