Hospitals in AZ potentially to require proof of citizenship

[sniper7]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110215/...ants_hospitals

By MICHELLE PRICE, Associated Press Michelle Price, Associated Press – 1 hr 55 mins ago
PHOENIX – Republican lawmakers want to widen Arizona's illegal immigration crackdown with a proposal to require hospitals to check on whether patients are in the country legally, causing outrage among medical professionals who fear becoming de facto immigration agents under the law.
The medical industry ripped the bill Monday as it was scheduled for a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Doctors envisioned scenarios in which immigrants with contagious diseases such as tuberculosis would stay home from the clinic or hospital and put themselves and the public at a grave health risk.
"This is making us into a police state that will try to catch people when they are sick," said George Pauk, a retired doctor with an organization called Physicians for a National Health Program. "Do we want to stop sick people from coming in for health care?"
Arizona is the first Legislature to take up such a measure amid a national push in conservative states to crack down on illegal immigration, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Arizona lawmakers ignited the debate a year ago when they passed a bill that required local police, while enforcing other laws, to question the [COLOR=#366388 ! important][COLOR=#366388 ! important]immigration [COLOR=#366388 ! important]status[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] of those they suspect are in the country illegally. A judge later put that provision on hold.
The discussion about the bill comes just days after an illegal immigrant in [COLOR=#366388 ! important][COLOR=#366388 ! important]Texas[/COLOR][/COLOR] with a banana-size tumor in her spine said she was ousted from her hospital because of her immigration status. She later found another hospital to get treatment.
Supporters say the hospital bill is necessary tool to fight illegal immigration at a time when hospitals lose tens of millions of dollars treating illegal immigrants in emergency rooms.
Senate President [COLOR=#366388 ! important][COLOR=#366388 ! important]Russell [COLOR=#366388 ! important]Pearce[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR], a Mesa Republican who was chief sponsor of last year's immigration law, says the hospitals bill is part of a broader effort to crack down on illegal immigration. The hospitals bill wouldn't bar people from getting care, but it would put the onus on hospitals to "do due diligence," Pearce said. "We're going to enforce our laws without apology."
Added Pearce: "It's the law. It's a felony to (aid and) abet. We're going to enforce the law without apology."
Other sponsors of the bill did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Discussion of the bill in the committee was put on hold late Monday until a later date.
The legislation, known as Senate Bill 1405, would require hospitals, when admitting nonemergency cases, to confirm that a person seeking care is a U.S. citizen or in the country legally. In emergency cases where the patient isn't here legally, the hospital would be required to call [COLOR=#366388 ! important][COLOR=#366388 ! important]immigration [COLOR=#366388 ! important]authorities[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] after the treatment is done. Hospitals in non-emergency situations would also be required to contact federal immigration authorities, but they would have more apparent discretion about whether to treat illegal immigrants.
Opponents say the bill could pose serious health risks to those here legally and illegally. They believe the threat of deportation would keep some people from seeking health care for everything from emergency situations to measures such as vaccinations, potentially leading to preventable deaths. They also said it would increase hospitals' already-strained workload.
"You are now turning medical professionals into full-time INS agents," said Democratic state Sen. Steve Gallardo, speaking at a news conference Monday. "Doctors that should be working to help treat ill patients are now turning into [COLOR=#366388 ! important][COLOR=#366388 ! important]ICE [COLOR=#366388 ! important]agents[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR]."
Nicole Russell is the mother of a 3-year-old daughter named Kira, and she could not envision what it would be like for a parent to decide whether or not to take their child to the hospital for fear of being reported to the authorities.
"I can't imagine putting the health care of my daughter in the hands of politicians," she said.

First off, I want to say how much I enjoy the last quote. putting health care in the hands of politicians...yet this woman probably voted for obama and was overly excited that obamacare passed.

I am ecstatic that this is a potential law. It should be federal law, state law, and local law. I am sorry but I am tired of it all. I am tired of the wasted money, the amount that our country is being taken advantage of by illegals. I am pretty compassionate when it comes down to it, and would hate to see people suffer or die, but there is a point where enough is enough and we can't take it any more.

I see the point of the doctors/hospitals feeling like a de facto ICE agent(s), but they check health insurance, IDs, blood type, gender, prostates, give rectal exams etc etc, so checking legal status should be a no problem. Might even guarantee they get paid a bigger percentage of the bills they charge patients. Wouldn't that be something...

I know it isn't going to make our insurance premiums and costs come falling through the roof, if even bring them down at all, but hopefully it will slow the raises, keep better insurance with lower premiums and bring some health care issues under control.

oh...and last time I checked: illegal is illegal. no ifs ands or buts.

[Jumpstart]

Having been born, raised and educated on the U.S./Mexican border, the checking of citizenship at border state hospitals should have started 30 years ago, at least.

[buffalobo]

Unfortunately, liberal federal judge would quickly approve injunction against such a law and allow it to be tied up in court for years. Effectively nullifying it.

[BigMat]

This is nonsense.


I used to work search and rescue with Border Patrol. We/They would drop illegals at hospitals all the time, "in custody" and they would walk out the front door of the hospital, because Border Patrol didn't want to pay for it/didn't care.

Best way to get into the US-
-climb Mexican side of the fense
-Fall off of fence onto US side
-twist ankle
-drive to Tucson hospital in Border Patrol air conditioned custody or better, in a bed in the back of an ambulance, or better still, get a free helicopter ride!
-Get meds and care on private hospital company dime
-walk out of hospital in major US city because BP doesn't want to pay for what the hospital has to and didn't show up to come and get you.


Just worthless rubber stampers who have no concept of what is really happening making noise

[sniper7]

This is nonsense.


I used to work search and rescue with Border Patrol. We/They would drop illegals at hospitals all the time, "in custody" and they would walk out the front door of the hospital, because Border Patrol didn't want to pay for it/didn't care.

Best way to get into the US-
-climb Mexican side of the fense
-Fall off of fence onto US side
-twist ankle
-drive to Tucson hospital in Border Patrol air conditioned custody or better, in a bed in the back of an ambulance, or better still, get a free helicopter ride!
-Get meds and care on private hospital company dime
-walk out of hospital in major US city because BP doesn't want to pay for what the hospital has to and didn't show up to come and get you.


Just worthless rubber stampers who have no concept of what is really happening making noise

so...wouldn't this law be able to stop the admittance of such illegals to any hospital. I would have to hope/think so. No legal status = no care. unless they have the cash to pay up front, then they should not get care.

[BigMat]

Pulled form an edit above-

By the way, I personally transported a little girl, less than a year old, to a Mexican hospital from an American one because she had AIDs and no one would pay for it. I would rather get treatment in most of your houses than the hospital we stopped at, we backed our box up on top of an open man hole to the sewer, and that was just the start of this. I am not proud of this to this day. Reality bites.

I would rather be poor my whole life than support this ever again. I am not even a very good Christian but this is abhorrent


My heart is aching just thinking about her. I don't suggest you follow my lead.

[Byte Stryke]

I Agree that Citizenship should be checked at Hospitals
de facto ICE Agents or not... you are preventing FRAUD and ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.

NOW... that being said, I Do not believe that ANY Person, Illegal or otherwise with a life threatening condition should be turned away.

If its an illegal and they have a serious ailment, by all means, Treat the ailment and give them a "Bus pass home"

As for the person "afraid" of getting caught, Don't break the law and you won't have to be afraid.

[THe Yetti]

So, you are in favor of illegal immigrants, who pay no taxes, getting free health care? And a regular tax paying citizen such as you or me has to pay huge sums for it whether we have insurance or not. It angers me to no end to be funding health care for someone who isn't even here legally to get services I can't afford for myself and my family. Am I way off on this?

[BigMat]

NOW... that being said, I Do not believe that ANY Person, Illegal or otherwise with a life threatening condition should be turned away.

This is not possible-

For example, the first person I transported who died-

picked him up for Diarrhea (the glories of EMS)
dropped him at the hospital doing compresions


He was having a heart attack, wouldn't have known until it was too late

[BigMat]

So, you are in favor of illegal immigrants, who pay no taxes, getting free health care? And a regular tax paying citizen such as you or me has to pay huge sums for it whether we have insurance or not. It angers me to no end to be funding health care for someone who isn't even here legally to get services I can't afford for myself and my family. Am I way off on this?

Not at all, my wife just got insurance and I just canceled mine, and I work/go to school in health care. It sucks, I know, but the simple fact is, this isn't where the problem lies. listen to politians and talk show junkies say it is all you want, but from the eyes of the insides, if you want to stop wasting money on health care, there is a different place to look. Worthless POS Americans who use the health care system. I transported a guy because he wanted to get across town and we were faster than a cab, no joke. I rutinely picked up a woman who weighed 500+ pounds and costed AZ more than 3 million a year, because she ate too much. I transported her once, after she called 911, because she was gaining weight!

thats where the money goes, because we can't say no to people who don't need it and abuse it, not because we say no to people who need it and didn't pay into it. I can say in all honesty, I transported a known illegal less than 10 times. But, I've transported the same drunk bum more than once in a shift! Fix this, and you will save a lot of money, get the lawyers out of it, and you will save a lot of money, get patient expectations to reality, and you will save a lot of money, get the illegals out, and you will save a LITTLE money. (I could go on)