tucsoncitizen.com
The federal government has to pony up cash to help border communities and hospitals cover the costs of emergency medical care to illegal immigrants, the state's two U.S. senators and two congressmen representing border districts said yesterday.
The cost of uncompensated emergency medical services in Arizona is about $100 million, much of that in unpaid care to illegal and uninsured immigrants.
Immigration is a federal responsibility but the federal government doesn't reimburse states for unpaid medical services to illegal border crossers.
"Arizona spends more than $100 million every year on providing emergency health care to illegal immigrants and yet it receives nothing from the federal government in complying with this federal law," Republican Sen. Jon Kyl said during a press conference at Tucson Medical Center.
"That hostile attitude must change or Arizona will continue to suffer as emergency rooms shut down, cut services, or impose long waits for services," he said.
Kyl, accompanied by fellow Republicans Sen. John McCain and U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe, and Democratic congressman-elect Raśl Grijalva, visited Tucson and the border cities of Nogales and Douglas yesterday for briefings with health-care and immigration officials.
After being briefed by officials of University and Tucson medical centers, all four said they support legislation that would provide $200 million a year for five years to help pay for emergency medical care provided illegal immigrants in states most affected by the problem.
Kyl said he would introduce such a bill when the Senate convenes in January. The bill would amend the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which called for such reimbursement but was never funded by Congress.
Posted by Suzanne at December 7, 2002