Thread: TennCare Cost of Illegals

TennCare spends $15 million on illegal immigrants
By John Rodgers, jrodgers@nashvillecitypaper.com
August 11, 2006

BRENTWOOD - TennCare spends an estimated $15 million a year paying for emergency care for illegal immigrants, according to testimony at a congressional field hearing on immigration’s effects here Thursday.

The health care spending on illegal immigrants also extends to the private sector. A Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) representative said he estimates the hospital loses $3.8 million annually caring for illegal immigrants.

U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Brentwood) appeared with U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Georgia) at the hearing to talk about illegal immigration and what the federal government has done to address it, and to hear from medical industry officials as to its effects.

“The primary point of our investigation is simple – we have limited resources to support programs for those in this country legally,” Blackburn said. “And it is simply inappropriate that taxpayer dollars be used for those people who have broken our laws and are defrauding our system.”

The state Democratic Party called the hearing a “sham” and “playing politics” while pointing out that Republicans have held the White House and both the U.S. House and Senate for years and haven’t addressed the issue.

Also, Linda Rose, a managing partner with Rose Immigration Law Firm in Nashville, denied that illegal immigrants have a negative impact on health care and its cost.

Rose argued that the field hearing overlooked the “billions” undocumented workers contribute toward the health care system from paying taxes through their employers as well as sales taxes.

In testimony Thursday, however, Dr. Darin P. Gordon, the director of the Bureau of TennCare, gave estimates reporting that TennCare reimbursed medical facilities $1.7 million last month and averages $15 million in reimbursements per year to pay for illegal immigrants’ medical care.

That $15 million is only a small portion, though, of TennCare’s $7 billion budget.

“Except I consider $15 million a lot of money,” Gordon said in response to questioning by Blackburn.

“Well, I do too,” Blackburn responded. “I consider it to be an incredibly large amount of money … every dollar a taxpayer spends is a lot of money.”

Federal law requires TennCare, the state’s expanded Medicaid program, to pay for anyone’s emergency care – legal or illegal. Gordon said TennCare does not let illegal immigrants onto the permanent rolls, just long enough to care for the emergency service.

The most prominent of emergency room cases are illegal immigrant women coming to give birth, Gordon said.

When those children are born, they become legal U.S. citizens.

That $15 million the state spends may pale in comparison, however, to spending by hospitals to provide emergency care for illegal immigrants. At Vanderbilt alone, VUMC estimated it lost $3.8 million to date this year caring for undocumented workers.
Gary R. Perrizo, the director of patient accounting at VUMC, testified that the hospital admitted 174 undocumented patients between Jan. 1 and Aug. 6, 2006, which is a 17 percent increase versus the same period in 2005.

In addition, Perrizo testified that between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2006, 504 possible illegal immigrants received emergency care but were not admitted to VUMC. Emergency room staff has “no way of knowing” whether a person is legally or illegally in the U.S., he said.

“We are morally and legally obligated to provide care for anyone who is in urgent need,” Perrizo said. “But that moral commitment and legal requirement to care for those in need has come to carry a significant price tag for hospitals and doctors alike.”

The recently passed federal Deficit Reduction Act requires TennCare to check certain documentation to verify whether an applicant is legally allowed to be within the U.S.

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index ... s_id=51493

Why does the Democrat Party always think when this issue is brought up, that it's just political?

They better start getting a clue!

Also, Linda Rose, a managing partner with Rose Immigration Law Firm in Nashville, denied that illegal immigrants have a negative impact on health care and its cost.

I don't know how she could have said that with a straight face. This woman is obviously delusional.