Thread: Bill Requires Patients to Prove Citizenship Status

Bill Requires Patients to Prove Citizenship Status

Updated: Friday, 11 Feb 2011, 3:34 PM MST
Published : Friday, 11 Feb 2011, 3:33 PM MST

PHOENIX - A bill that would force hospitals to check a patient's citizenship status is working its way through the Senate.

SB 1405 requires patients to prove they are citizens before they receive non-emergency care.

If they can't prove it, the hospital would have to call immigration officials.

Hospitals would also have to call immigration officials on patients who receive emergency care once they're treated and stabilized.

The bills sponsors are State Senators Biggs, Griffin, Klein, Melvin, R. Pearce and Shooter.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/im ... s-02112011

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fiftieth Legislature, First Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1405
hospital admissions; restrictions

Purpose

Requires an admissions officer of a hospital to verify a person’s citizenship or legal status before admitting the person for nonemergency care. Specifies methods for verification and requires the admissions officer to contact the local federal immigration office if a person does not meet citizenship or legal status requirements.

Background


The Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS) licenses hospitals and other health care institutions in Arizona. DHS rules define a hospital as a health care institution that provides, through an organized medical staff, inpatient beds, medical services and continuous nursing services for the diagnosis and treatment of patients (R9-10-201). In addition to other licensing requirements, hospitals must comply with certain admissions procedures. According to DHS rules, a hospital must adhere to the following admissions requirements to receive a state operating license: a) a patient is admitted only on the order of a medical staff member; b) an authorized individual is available at all times to accept a patient for admission; c) except in an emergency, the hospital obtains informed consent from a patient or the patient’s representative before or at the time of admission; d) informed consent is documented in the patient’s medical record; e) a physician or other medical staff member performs a medical history and physical exam on a patient within 30 days before admission or within 48 hours after admission, and documents the medical history and physical exam in the patient’s medical record within 48 hours of admission; and f) if a physician or medical staff member performs a medical history and physical exam on a patient before admission, the physician or the medical staff member enters an interval note into the patient’s medical record at the time of admission (R9-10-210).


Pursuant to the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), hospitals that participate in Medicare are required to screen individuals who present in emergency departments to determine if the person has an emergency medical condition, regardless of the person’s ability to pay or legal status. EMTALA also requires hospitals to provide treatment necessary to stabilize the patient and to arrange for transfer of the patient if the hospital is unable to stabilize the patient, or if the patient requests. Hospitals and physicians (including on-call physicians) that provide services in participating hospitals are subject to civil penalties and, in certain cases, exclusion from Medicare for violations of EMTALA.

The fiscal impact associated with this legislation is unknown.


Provisions

1. Requires the admissions officer of a hospital, before admitting a person for nonemergency care, to confirm the person is a citizen, a legal resident of or lawfully present in the United States.

2. Authorizes the admissions officer to use any of the following to verify citizenship or legal status:

a) an Arizona driver license issued after 1996 or an Arizona non-operating identification license;

b) a birth certificate or delayed birth certificate issued in any state, territory or possession of the United States;

c) a United States certificate of birth abroad;

d) a United States passport;

e) a foreign passport with a United States visa;

f) an I-94 form with a photograph;

g) a United States citizenship and immigration services employment authorization document or refugee travel document;

h) a United States certificate of naturalization;

i) a United States certificate of citizenship;

j) a tribal certificate of Indian blood; or

k) a tribal or Bureau of Indian affairs affidavit of birth.

3. Requires the admissions officer to contact the local federal immigration office if the person does not meet citizenship or legal status requirements.

4. Requires the admissions officer, if a hospital provides emergency care to a person who does not meet citizenship or legal status requirements, to contact the local federal immigration office upon the patient’s successful treatment.

5. States a hospital that complies with the requirements of this legislation is not subject to civil liability.

6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by Senate Research

February 11, 2011

ER/tf

http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp ... ary/s.1405 jud.doc.htm

The common sense thing would be check citizenship papers first and if not documented then refuse service. This is the real world howerver and we have been saddled with people like the ACLU. They have seen to it that common sense if overshadowed by their twisting of what should really be done. So we treat them, spend taxpayers money then deport em....Just does not make sense considering that once they are treated they dash out and back into hiding within the latino community that hides them.

Other laws need to be change too.

FEDERAL LAW

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act approved in 1986 requires all Medicare participating hospitals with emergency departments to treat any critically ill patients on their premises, including parking lots.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41539841/ns ... alth_care/

I've often said this

Give them EM care of course , but then notify ICE

The same with all the natal care this country provides to illegals, WHATS UP WITH THAT?

We throw billions at them in Non EM care , its time that was stopped

If they can't prove it, the hospital would have to call immigration officials.

Hospitals would also have to call immigration officials on patients who receive emergency care once they're treated and stabilized.

Senators are definitely moving in the right directions to clean this Country up. Once the words spread about ICE being called to hospitals it will cease hospitals arrivals and immigrants will begin to leave this Country because they are hindered from receiving so much freedom and trapped in many different ways of fraud crimes.

Originally Posted by Pisces_2010

Senators are definitely moving in the right directions to clean this Country up. Once the words spread about ICE being called to hospitals it will cease hospitals arrivals and immigrants will begin to leave this Country because they are hindered from receiving so much freedom and trapped in many different ways of fraud crimes.

And if those same senators would make a habit of connecting illegals with unemployment, crime, and overcrowding, the momentum would build faster.
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Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

Why not. Ontario does that. You have health cards like our driver's license where you have to prove you are a citizen or legal resident. If you don't have it unless you are a tourist they will call immigration. A woman who was to be deported stayed and gave birth. The hospital called immigration who were looking for her and she was deported back to Jamaica days later. The baby was put in a foster home as she did not make arrangements for a passport for the new born.

Originally Posted by swatchick

Why not. Ontario does that. You have health cards like our driver's license where you have to prove you are a citizen or legal resident. If you don't have it unless you are a tourist they will call immigration. A woman who was to be deported stayed and gave birth. The hospital called immigration who were looking for her and she was deported back to Jamaica days later. The baby was put in a foster home as she did not make arrangements for a passport for the new born.

Any citizen visiting a hospital here in Virginia must prove who they are as well. Social Security numbers, picture Id's, residential address, and places of employments. All people should be screened the same when they arrive to hospitals.

Originally Posted by Pisces_2010

. . . Any citizen visiting a hospital here in Virginia must prove who they are as well. Social Security numbers, picture Id's, residential address, and places of employments. All people should be screened the same when they arrive to hospitals.

Sad but true, FEDERAL law state that any person with any critical illness who makes it to an emergency room must be treated,
with or without an ID.

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act approved in 1986 requires all Medicare participating hospitals with emergency departments to treat any critically ill patients on their premises.