Wonder just how Americans realize that $1.45 BILLION is the estimate for the Federal legislation that covers "undocumented/illegal alien" emergency treatment per year???
Kyl / McCain Bill Would Reimburse States For Emergency Care of Illegals Legislation
Posted by U.S. Senator Jon Kyl on Thursday February 13, 2003 at 11:14 pm MST
Would Help Arizona Hospitals Facing Closure
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), joined by U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), today announced their introduction of bipartisan legislation to reimburse states by $1.45 billion per year for the costs of federally-mandated emergency treatment of illegal immigrants. Arizona is expected to get a substantial share of any funding authorized.
Kyl, chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care and a member of the Senate leadership, said: "This proposal will come to the aid of Arizona and other border states that experience the tremendous costs of providing federally-mandated emergency treatment to illegal aliens - which forces many facilities to close their doors to Arizonans needing help. I am pleased to report that we are making significant progress in getting that message across to my Senate colleagues. In the coming weeks, I will convene hearings to demonstrate the human costs of the federal government's neglect in this area, and will push for prompt consideration of this urgently-needed legislation."
McCain, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, added: "As a border state, Arizona's hospitals have been hit especially hard by the cost of medical services provided to immigrants," McCain said. "This legislation would provide Arizona and other states with federal money for immigrant medical care."
A recent study requested by Kyl and conducted by the US-Mexico Border Counties Coalition surveyed four border states -- Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. It found that health-care facilities in 28 border counties alone spent more than $200 million in one year alone for emergency medical treatment of undocumented patients, nearly $31 million just for the four border counties in Arizona. Such treatment is required under a federal law known "the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA)," which forbids emergency rooms from turning any patient away who is in need of emergency care. The amount of $1.45 billion is the estimated cost for the entire country per year.
The estimated costs would have been even higher if non-border counties - such as Maricopa - were included in the study as well, Kyl noted. Some estimates place loss at Maricopa hospitals due to unpaid bills from illegal immigrant as high as $50 million per year.
"This bipartisan bill provides critical support to our states and localities, including the medical community, for the costs they incur while providing healthcare ensuring that access to critical services are available for our most vulnerable populations. We must act soon before this crisis deepens," McCain said.
"The spirit behind laws requiring emergency medical care to all comers is laudable and welcome," Kyl said. "But it comes at a price. And since this is a federal mandate imposed on local hospitals, we believe the federal government has a responsibility to pay for it."
The bill is cosponsored by Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) .
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