Hospitals: Feds are slow with money

By The Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE — The president of New Mexico's hospital association said federal payments for emergency care to undocumented immigrants aren't coming in fast enough.Article Launched:11/25/2006 01:00:00 AM MST


"It's not going very well. I'm trying to determine why," said Jeff Dye, New Mexico Hospitals and Health Systems Association president and chief executive officer.

New Mexico hospitals submitted $2.8 million in claims for such care in the last quarter of 2005, but Dye said they were paid only about $675,000. The problem could stem from a federal requirement that care was given to someone who is in the country illegally, he said.

Health professionals are reluctant to ask if a patient is an undocumented immigrant, fearing that person will avoid getting health care.

Although Congress made $1 billion available nationally over four years, beginning last year, it has taken time to determine guidelines for how to apply for reimbursement.

Presbyterian Hospital spokesman Todd Sandman said payments are coming about 180 days after a hospital applies for reimbursement.

University of New Mexico Hospital, which sees many low-income patients, has received one payment from the federal program, which pays quarterly, spokesman Sam Giammo said.

It received $235,532 in August for care given to 151 people from October to December 2005 and expects another payment of $365,573 at the end of this month for care given to 165
people between January and March, he said.
The hospital has had only one claim denied, Giammo said, adding that patients are asked their immigration status during interviews for financial aid.

St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe hasn't received any money yet, though spokesman Arturo Delgado didn't know why not. He said the hospital has filed for reimbursement for care for 20 patients that it hopes to receive in January.

St. Vincent workers don't ask patients if they are in the United States illegally, he said. If a patient doesn't provide a Social Security number, Delgado said workers assume he or she is here illegally and file for federal reimbursement.

Dye said statistics suggest New Mexico and California are collecting the lowest percentage of dollars allocated to them. New Mexico was allocated between $6 million and $7 million for 2006, he said.

"I'm going to investigate with my members what the hang-up is," said Dye, who doesn't know how much individual hospitals in the state receive.

One possibility, he said, is hospitals are finding it easier to rely on Medicaid reimbursements for some of these services.

The Emergency Medical Services Act makes Medicaid money available to pay for emergency medical care for people who would otherwise qualify for Medicaid if they were legal residents.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, that program paid $3.9 million for inpatient care, $940,000 for physician services, $237,000 for outpatient care and $11,000 for transportation, Dye said.

About 80 percent of that money paid for medical care related to childbirth, said Betina Gonzales McCracken, spokeswoman for the state Human Services Department.

The federal program started last year would help with the many people who wouldn't fall under the Medicaid program, such as men who are injured on the job and don't qualify because their income is too high, she said.

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