Money for Illegals' Care Runs Out
March 17th, 2008 @ 3:20pm
by Pamela Hughes/KTAR

Federal money set aside to reimburse hospitals for the care of illegal immigrants is going to run out at the end of this year.

For the past four years the federal government has set aside $250 million a year to reimburse border hospitals for the care of illegal immigrants.

An Arizona Republic article this morning told of an illegal immigrant involved in a motorcycle accident who had three surgeries for her injuries and then was sent back to Mexico to recover.

"Indeed we spend millions upon millions each year, for care for these patients," said Dr. Michael Christopher is the chief of staff at St. Joseph's Hospital.

Christopher would like to see the federal program continued past this year.

"We understand that the realities of the current fiscal situation in this country and we're not terribly hopeful," Christopher said.

Christopher said in reality hospitals weren't getting much money from the feds to help cover those care costs.

"What it amounted to was literally pennies on the dollar," Christopher said.

But every little bit helps.

"There's hospitals throughout the country that have closed as a result of being fiscally insolvent from the outflow of care that's been demanded upon them," Christopher said.

Christopher said this is a federal problem that is unfortunately being forced on the backs of states and hospitals to figure out.

An Arizona Republic article this morning told of an illegal immigrant involved in a motorcycle accident who had three surgeries for her injuries and then was sent back to Mexico to recover.

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