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Friday, May 13, 2005


Our Opinion: Arizona again gets short end of federal stick


Federal officials announced with great fanfare this week that Arizona health-care providers now can bill the feds for costs of treating illegal immigrants.
Forgive us if we hold off on the wild celebrations.

Of course the U.S. government should pay for medical treatment provided to people who enter the United States illegally. Immigration policy and enforcement are the responsibility of the feds. When the feds fail, the feds should pay the costs.

The federal government has elevated to an art its ability to avoid paying for costs associated with failed border enforcement. Whether it is medical care or the cost of holding illegal immigrants in jails, the feds pay only pennies on the dollar, leaving cities, counties, states and private businesses to pay most of the tab.

It is to the credit of Sen. Jon Kyl that he was able to push through an amendment that provides money for emergency medical treatment of illegal immigrants.

The Arizona Republican acted after a study he commissioned showed hospitals, ambulance companies and other health-care providers in southern border states are losing millions of dollars for care provided to illegal immigrants. Federal law - and common decency - require that care be provided to anyone who needs it. But there was no reimbursement.

Now there is some reimbursement, but it will fall far short of the actual costs. Arizona will get up to $45 million in this and each of the next three fiscal years. But in the past eight months alone, University Medical Center spent $10 million treating illegal immigrants. And that is only one hospital in one Arizona city.

Because actual costs will far exceed the money allotted by the feds, and because there are labyrinthine paperwork requirements, UMC estimates it will recoup only about 30 percent of its costs. If past years are any indication, it won't take long for Arizona's $45 million a year to vanish.

A better solution is being undertaken by Tucson hospitals and the federal government through investment in Mexican hospitals. If Mexican hospitals are improved, illegal immigrants can be stabilized here, then sent to Mexico for longer-term care.

And while the feds are congratulating themselves on the medical cost reimbursements, they still are failing on other fronts.

They pay Arizona a pittance for holding illegal immigrants in jails - less than 10 cents of every dollar of actual costs. At the last accounting, Arizona taxpayers were owed $118 million by the federal government for unpaid jail costs.

Yes, we appreciate the reimbursement for medical costs of illegal immigrants. But it is only a start.