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| Wilson Applauds Release of Border Hospital Money |
May 10, 2005 |
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Congresswoman says she’ll watch effectiveness of HHS rules
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today said she’s pleased the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) is releasing federal healthcare funding to hospitals, doctors and ambulances, including $5.1 million this year to New Mexico providers that provide emergency treatment to a large number of undocumented patients. Wilson also said she’ll watch closely as hospitals implement rules to be able to receive the funding. Wilson has strongly opposed reporting requirements that she feared would dissuade immigrants, even those here legally, from seeking emergency care. The Health and Human Services Department abandoned a proposal to require hospitals to ask patients if they were U.S. citizens or legal immigrants.
The funding was approved in the Medicare prescription drug bill that passed Congress in 2003 with Wilson’s support. New Mexico will receive $5.1 million for FY 2005, and a similar amount each year through FY 2008. Unused funding can be carried over into the following fiscal year.
“While I oppose illegal immigration, there are certain services you just have to provide,” said Wilson. “Basic emergency care is one of those services, and we shouldn’t create a climate of fear for people who have been seriously hurt or injured, or who are very ill.”
Wilson opposed efforts to force hospitals to report undocumented immigrants to the INS before receiving the funding. She opposed and help defeat the Undocumented Alien Emergency Medical Assistance Amendments of 2004 (H.R. 3722), which would have forced hospitals to collect data on undocumented immigrants who seek care, reporting that information to immigration officials. Hospitals not complying under the new rules would have been restricted from receiving their portion of the $1 billion in federal healthcare funding provided by Congress.
Wilson later opposed efforts by HHS officials to establish similar restrictions administratively, even after Congress had overwhelmingly voted such rules down. Because of strong opposition by Wilson and other Members of Congress, HHS officials decided to implement rules taking an indirect approach of obtaining citizenship information for eligibility under this program. Hospitals will not be required to provide individual information to immigration officials, though such data might still be obtainable through a pending investigation.
“The approach put forward by HHS is an improvement and we will work with New Mexico hospitals to monitor how it is implemented in practice,” Wilson said. “Our doctors and nurses are not and should not be immigration officials. While I’m glad HHS is releasing the funding, I’ll watch closely to ensure that these rules don’t dissuade people from seeking emergency care when necessary. Hospitals need to place their resources into saving lives and healing people, not acting as a branch of the border patrol.”
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