House Rejects Legislation
Requiring Hospital Mandates for Care Provided to Illegal Immigrants
May 21, 2004 - The House of Representative May 18
rejected 331-88 the "Undocumented Alien Emergency Medical
Assistance Amendments of 2004" (H.R.
3722). Sponsored by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.),
the AAMC-opposed bill would have imposed new burdensome requirements
on hospitals in order to receive funding authorized by the
recent Medicare law to help pay for emergency care provided
to undocumented immigrants.
Specifically, H.R. 3722 would have amended Section 1011 of
the "Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization
Act of 2003" by requiring that hospitals collect and
report personal data on undocumented aliens to the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS). The legislation would have required
hospitals to verify a patient's immigration status, address
and employer details. If the patient's immigration status
was illegal, the hospital would then have to fingerprint or
photograph the patient and send his/her details to DHS, which
would then begin deportation.
The AAMC, along with the American Hospital Association, Catholic
Health Association of the United States, Federation of American
Hospitals, National Association of Children's Hospitals, National
Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, and VHA
Inc sent a letter to all Members of Congress in opposition
to the legislation.
The new Medicare prescription drug law provides $250 million
in each of FYs 2005-2008 to pay for physicians, hospitals,
and ambulance services for health care services provided to
undocumented aliens. Rep. Rohrbacher opposed Section 1011
of the Medicare bill but voted for the overall legislation
because House leaders promised him a vote on his bill.
Information:
Lynne Davis Boyle, Assistant Vice President
AAMC Government Relations
ldavisboyle@aamc.org
(202) 828-0526
Christiane Mitchell, Senior Legislative Analyst
AAMC Government Relations
cmitchell@aamc.org
(202) 828-0526
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