Illegal Alien Health Care: Taxpayers Pay; Uninsured American Citizen: Too Bad

FRIENDS OF IMMIGRATION LAW ENFORCEMENT (FILE)

{THISDEPT}

May 4, 2004

Illegal Alien Health Care: Taxpayers Pay
Uninsured American Citizen: Too Bad

Millions of uninsured Americans fall through the cracks: perhaps they've lost a job and can't afford COBRA payments or maybe they work at a low paying job that doesn't offer health benefits. They're not poor enough to be covered by a government program, but they're not rich enough to afford a steep medical bill in an emergency.

A $1 billion provision was included in last year's Medicare drug bill to reimburse hospitals for illegal alien care. Not care for legal immigrants or American citizens, just illegal immigrants.

Our emergency rooms are overcrowded, and in many urban areas hospitals have simply closed down their trauma centers rather than continue to hemorrhage red ink treating illegal aliens. As Congress has mandated that hospitals treat them, the hospitals can't be blamed. But the open-ended program to reimburse hospitals for treatment of illegal aliens needs to be tightened up.

I have introduced H.R. 3722 to correct the worst excesses of Congress' favoring illegal aliens over the hard-working poor of America. By agreement with the House leadership, this bill will be coming to the House floor within the next two weeks. Please read the attached summary of H.R. 3722. It does not mandate anything--hospitals are free not to participate in the new illegal alien program. Even for a hospital to receive the money, doctors need not stop lifesaving work to obtain information from their patients. Nor would a hospital refuse lifesaving care to any illegal alien who is truly in an emergency situation.

I must tell you I have heard from citizens all across the country who strongly favor this legislation. Senior citizens in particular are unhappy that Congress is diverting precious resources from the Medicare drug bill to the care of illegal aliens.

Please read the summary of this legislation. If you agree it is long overdue, common sense legislation to start solving the problems of overcrowded emergency rooms, please co-sponsor this legislation by calling Maureen Muncy at 5-2415.

Sincerely,
/s
Dana Rohrabacher
Member of Congress

The Undocumented Alien Emergency Medical Assistance Amendments of 2004
Introduced by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher

In order to receive funds under the "Undocumented Alien Emergency Medical Assistance" portion of the recently passed MPDIMA, hospitals must request the following information:

Citizenship of alien
Immigration status of alien
Address of alien in the US
Any current employer of alien
Biometric indicator to be decided by the Department of Homeland Security

This information must be uploaded to an electronic database set up by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services. Hospitals are NOT required to call the Border Patrol or disrupt their services in any other way.

The Department of Homeland Security, after verifying an alien's undocumented status, must initiate deportation proceedings against the illegal alien.

Makes any employer of an illegal alien responsible for the cost of unreimbursed emergency room care, unless the employer verifies the status of an alien using the employment verification system.

Limits care of undocumented aliens. No extraordinary medical treatment needs to be given if the illegal alien can be transported back to their country of origin without material deterioration.

Asks the Secretary of State to negotiate treaties providing for payment of the cost of medical transportation of the foreign governments ill citizens. In cases where a treaty cannot be negotiated, the Secretary of State is directed to impose a fee on citizens of that country who enter the US to recoup the costs of international medical evacuation.