Thread: New York: State loses aid for illegal-immigrant care

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State loses aid for illegal-immigrant care

By CANDICE CHOI
Associated Press Writer

January 21, 2006, 11:42 AM EST

ALBANY, N.Y. -- A federal review of recent hospital visits by thousands of illegal immigrants across New York state found many of the state's claims did not qualify as an emergency.

The state will not recieve $32.5 million in federal reimbursements as result, according to the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services in Washington, D.C.

In New York state, Medicaid covers the costs when an illegal immigrant goes to the hospital for emergency care, such as the treatment of broken bones or chest pains. But the federal government, which pays for 50 percent of program costs in New York, recently reviewed the state's claims between January 2001 and September 2004 and found many did not qualify as emergencies.

Gov. George Pataki in his budget released this week proposed amending what medical services the state will cover for undocumented immigrants starting April 1. Any "ancillary" services like speech or physical therapy that fall outside the federal definition of an emergency situation would no longer be covered.

"This is a result of federal clarifications regarding Medicaid's reimbursement of providers for emergency services to illegal aliens," John Sweeney, spokesman for the state Budget Division, said in a written statement.

The measure would save the state $14 million annually, the division said.

The revision is just a small part of a sweeping proposal by Pataki to cut and save $1.3 billion in Medicaid in next year's budget. The creation of a major anti-fraud unit comprised of 627 staff members is the centerpiece of the proposed reform.

New York state's Medicaid program, widely criticized for its waste and inefficiency, is the largest in the nation at $44.5 billion a year. It is even more costly than California's system, which covers 55 percent more people.

Critics have complained the state recieves one of the lowest reimbursement rates from the federal government. While New York recieves just 50 percent of Medicaid costs from the federal government, other states receive as much as 80 percent.

The state, according to Budget Division officials, submitted a claim for $207 million for the time period from January 2001 to September 2004. The federal goverment has settled to pay $174 million.

Restrictions on what constitutes emergency care for undocumented immigrants vary from state to state. Connecticut, for example, has tighter regulations than New York, said Adam Gurvitch, director of health advocacy at the New York Immigration Coalition.

In 2004, the department said 13,700 hospital visits by illegal immigrants were paid for by Medicaid in New York state.

Advocacy groups, meanwhile, argue that scaling back medical services for illegal immigrants only costs taxpayers more in the long run.

"Any time you cut back on healthcare coverage, you run the risk of people not coming in for care when it's treatable," said Francesca Gany, director of the Center for Immigration Health in New York City.

When problems are not treated at their most acute state, conditions only worsen and resurface, she said.

Meanwhile, Gurvitch of the New York Immigration Coaltion, said hospitals often don't take advantage of Medicaid's emergency-care coverage for undocumented immigrants.

For example, if an undocumented immigrant was in a car accident and got care at a hospital, chances are that the hospital is not going to send the person to a social worker to collect necessary documentation for re-imbursement before discharge, he said.

"Some don't realize that it's their right. There's a lot of federal money on table hospitals aren't reaching for," he said.

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On the Net:

Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, http://www.cms.hhs.gov/

New York State Department of Health, www.health.state.ny.us

Only in America

"Some don't realize that it's their right. There's a lot of federal money on table hospitals aren't reaching for," he said.

What's their right? Screwing hospitals for non-emergency care? Their only right should be to be seen in hospitals outside the US.

had enuf- I was just quoting that line too- you beat me too it!

Originally Posted by thelmahopkins

had enuf- I was just quoting that line too- you beat me too it!

It was just toooooooo good to pass up wasn't it Thelma?

Quote:
"Some don't realize that it's their right. There's a lot of federal money on table hospitals aren't reaching for," he said.
What's their right? Screwing hospitals for non-emergency care? Their only right should be to be seen in hospitals outside the US.

The hospitals aren't the only one's being screwed, I and a lot like myself are getting royally screwed paying over 500.00 a month just for catastrophic care...no Doctor visits, no prescriptions, just if I fall off of a roof or get hit by a car. Then there's at least 1,500 deductible on top of that.
Now that's really getting screwed.