Florida healthcare providers and state lawmakers may be on a collision course over plans to force patients to reveal their immigration status, according to an April 28 WLRN report.
A Republican-sponsored bill, SB 1718, would require hospitals in the state that accept Medicaid to change their admission policies to ask patients whether they are U.S. citizens and whether they are in the country legally or illegally. The bill says the form should note that a patient's answer would not affect care or result in being reported to immigration authorities. More than 320 hospitals would be affected by such legislation, the report said.
While proponents say treating immigrants who don't have legal documentation drains hospital resources, opponents, including healthcare systems, say they fear such individuals would be deterred from getting much-needed care as a result of stricter legislation.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order in September 2021 requiring hospitals to collect data on the amount of money spent to care for immigrants living in the country without legal documentation, something most hospitals and health systems have been unable to comply with.