Arizona Legislature Plans to Designate $20M for Emergency Care for Undocumented Immigrants

The Arizona Legislature this weekend met in a special session to reinstate an emergency medical services program that will cover $20 million in unpaid medical bills for emergency room treatment of undocumented immigrants, the Arizona Republic reports. Although the state "traditionally" pays for such services, state officials removed the program from this year's state budget after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it would "take over" funding. The Republic reports that CMS, "after taking a closer look ... balked" and only offered to provide coverage for limited categories of immigrants, including children, pregnant women and the elderly. Although federal law requires hospitals to care for any emergency case, the state will only reimburse hospitals for the care of undocumented immigrants if the patient gives an address or proof of residency. According to Sheri Jordan of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, Arizona hospitals are already responsible for "millions of dollars" of unpaid bills. Gov. Jane Hull (R) has suggested using federal money intended for indigent health care, which has no restrictions on how it is spent, "to keep hospitals afloat" (Sherwood, Arizona Republic, 9/22).