Tasha Robertson
Professor R. Salter
December 8, 2016
Healthcare Strategies
Healthcare for Illegal Immigrants
For many people around the world, immigration to the United States is just a dream and those who make it still have many obstacles that they have to face. Those who have already illegally immigrated to the United States have found the dream. Many illegal immigrants dislike the label but unfortunately that is what they are. When an immigrant enters the country without permission from the American government that immigrant is illegal. Without proper healthcare screening these illegal immigrants can bring in diseases we have long since wiped out into our country. They are and will continue to be a major health risk to the American people …show more content…
Health care costs for undocumented immigrants are difficult to assess, particularly at the provider level. Most providers do not collect citizenship information on patients, and the costs of care for the undocumented are often classified simply as uncompensated care. Self-reported data or Emergency Medicaid expenditures are more reliable; these data sources suggest that costs for undocumented immigrants are generally lower than for US citizens and other immigrant groups. Undocumented immigrants rely heavily on safety-net health care providers, including community health centers and clinics, although costs attributed to undocumented immigrants at federally qualified health centers and clinics are difficult to estimate. Community health centers an important role in implementing the Affordable Care Act, including continuing to provide care to undocumented immigrants. While the ACA provides for additional funding for community health centers, perhaps allowing for expanded primary care access for undocumented immigrants, recent budget cuts have offset ACA funding to some degree. Hospitals are required by federal law to treat those with life threatening conditions without regard to insurance coverage. As a result, the costs of emergency care and other treatment for undocumented immigrants without insurance usually becomes uncompensated care. This will be an increasing concern under the ACA since supplemental payments to Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) will decline which have historically assisted with uncompensated care costs. A small increase in coverage for life-threatening conditions for undocumented immigrants may occur under Emergency Medicaid in states that expand Medicaid coverage to all low-income adults regardless of family status. In states that fail to fully expand their Medicaid programs, the loss of DSH funding combined with continued uncompensated care for undocumented patients under
Professor R. Salter
December 8, 2016
Healthcare Strategies
Healthcare for Illegal Immigrants
For many people around the world, immigration to the United States is just a dream and those who make it still have many obstacles that they have to face. Those who have already illegally immigrated to the United States have found the dream. Many illegal immigrants dislike the label but unfortunately that is what they are. When an immigrant enters the country without permission from the American government that immigrant is illegal. Without proper healthcare screening these illegal immigrants can bring in diseases we have long since wiped out into our country. They are and will continue to be a major health risk to the American people …show more content…
Health care costs for undocumented immigrants are difficult to assess, particularly at the provider level. Most providers do not collect citizenship information on patients, and the costs of care for the undocumented are often classified simply as uncompensated care. Self-reported data or Emergency Medicaid expenditures are more reliable; these data sources suggest that costs for undocumented immigrants are generally lower than for US citizens and other immigrant groups. Undocumented immigrants rely heavily on safety-net health care providers, including community health centers and clinics, although costs attributed to undocumented immigrants at federally qualified health centers and clinics are difficult to estimate. Community health centers an important role in implementing the Affordable Care Act, including continuing to provide care to undocumented immigrants. While the ACA provides for additional funding for community health centers, perhaps allowing for expanded primary care access for undocumented immigrants, recent budget cuts have offset ACA funding to some degree. Hospitals are required by federal law to treat those with life threatening conditions without regard to insurance coverage. As a result, the costs of emergency care and other treatment for undocumented immigrants without insurance usually becomes uncompensated care. This will be an increasing concern under the ACA since supplemental payments to Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSH) will decline which have historically assisted with uncompensated care costs. A small increase in coverage for life-threatening conditions for undocumented immigrants may occur under Emergency Medicaid in states that expand Medicaid coverage to all low-income adults regardless of family status. In states that fail to fully expand their Medicaid programs, the loss of DSH funding combined with continued uncompensated care for undocumented patients under