Thread: Health Services for Undocumented Immigrants Vary State by St

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report

Wednesday, October 29, 2008


Health Services for Undocumented Immigrants Vary State by State in Absence of Federal Guidance

With "limited federal guidance" on what health care services undocumented immigrants are eligible to receive, many states are "grappling" with what services to provide, the Los Angeles Times reports. Federal law prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for nonemergency care to undocumented immigrants, but it is not clear what counts as an emergency, the Times reports. The federal government defines an emergency as "an acute condition that, without immediate care, would seriously jeopardize a patient's health or impair bodily functions, parts or organs," according to the Times. The federal government shares the cost of emergency care for undocumented immigrants with states through Medicaid. Congressional and legal efforts to further define services undocumented immigrants can receive have not been successful or clarified the issue, the Times reports.

Health and other benefits for undocumented immigrants vary state by state, the Times reports. Some states "tip toward the need to care for the sick," while others "see free health care as a de facto endorsement of [undocumented immigrants'] presence," according to the Times. In particular, there are discrepancies over whether services such as chemotherapy, life-support and dialysis are considered emergency care.

Some states -- including Colorado, New Mexico and Texas -- do not consider kidney failure an emergency condition because patients can survive for weeks without dialysis before the disease becomes fatal. Other states -- such as California, New York and North Carolina -- provide routine dialysis for undocumented immigrants. Georgia recently stopped paying for dialysis for undocumented immigrants after lawmakers said it was a financial burden on the state.

In early 2007, Mary Kahn, a spokesperson for the federal Medicaid program, said, "We do not pay for chronic care for illegal immigrants." However, she recently said that the federal government and California have been sharing the cost of providing dialysis for undocumented immigrants and that it has been up to states to decide whether to pay for various health services themselves.

The cost of one dialysis treatment is about $250, according to the Times. Undocumented immigrants who do not receive routine dialysis often end up in emergency departments when they are sometimes near death, and where care often costs much more, according to the Times. When patients are near death, federal law says they must receive dialysis until their condition stabilizes. Without routine care, however, their condition often deteriorates and they have to return to the ED weeks later. States that do pay for dialysis say that not covering routine dialysis is far more costly than the alternative.

In California, undocumented immigrants account for 1,350 of 61,000 people receiving state-funded dialysis, and the group's portion cost the state $51 million last year. Opponents of the policies are against using taxpayer funds to pay for services to undocumented immigrants, and some states are concerned that covering the life saving procedures would draw more undocumented immigrants to their jurisdictions (Zarembo/Gorman, Los Angeles Times, 10/29).



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In early 2007, Mary Kahn, a spokesperson for the federal Medicaid program, said, "We do not pay for chronic care for illegal immigrants." However, she recently said that the federal government and California have been sharing the cost of providing dialysis for undocumented immigrants and that it has been up to states to decide whether to pay for various health services themselves.

Not only do they give dialysis for undocumented, remember the one woman Ms Puente who has had three liver transplants at UCLA and waiting for the fourth? She attitude was she had been here a long time and UCLA and CA should take care of her. Her long life span of 24-years-old told her she was entitled. What you wanna bet if she could legally vote she'd vote for Obama, after all spread the wealth and keep that free health care coming even if American citizens can't get it.

I always thought emergency medical care was whatever would save your life for that moment......not long term treatment and such. Normal pregnancys weren't considered emergency care......sore throats, coughs, etc. I mean I've taken my kds to the ER because I couldn't get into a Dr. and had to pay the bill because the insurance company deemed it wasn't "emergency care". From their defination atleast. Of course they were supposed to cover emergency care 100%, so I don't know if it was the true defination, or just their way of not having to pay for it. I mean getting treatment is one thing.....the problem comes in who foots the bill. It also depends on if you are going to a not for profit or profit hospital. I have known people who have been sent away when they couldn't provide payment or had insurance. I have a friend now who has a relative with cancer.....no insurance and so far there's no one willing to treat her. They wouldn't take my mom for dialysis without insurance above and beyond medicare. So there are for sure citizens not getting treatment who need it.

Just turn one away and if he dies even with the flu, BIG LAW SUIT! the only way to prevent this is to enforce the laws and deport illegal aliens.

Added to Homepage with amended title.
http://www.alipac.us/article-3684--0-0.html