As States Diverge on Immigration, Hospitals Say They Won’t Turn Patients Away
A Stark Divide Emerges in Response to Trump’s Immigration Policies
California is advising health care providers not to write down patients’ immigration status on bills and medical records and telling them they don’t have to assist federal agents in arrests. Some Massachusetts hospitals and clinics are posting privacy rights in emergency and waiting rooms in Spanish and other languages.
Meanwhile, Florida and Texas are requiring health care facilities to ask the immigration status of patients and tally the cost to taxpayers of providing care to immigrants living in the U.S. without authorization.
Trump’s Policies Spark Fears and Confusion
Donald Trump returned to the White House declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, suspending refugee admissions, and challenging birthright citizenship, or the policy of giving U.S. citizenship to anyone born in the U.S. As he begins carrying out the “largest deportation operation” in the nation’s history, states have offered starkly different guidelines to hospitals, community clinics, and other health facilities for immigrant patients.
Trump has also rescinded a long-standing policy not to arrest people without legal status at or near sensitive locations, including schools, churches, and hospitals. A proposal to formalize such protections died in Congress in 2023.
Hospitals Stand Firm: No Patient Will be Turned Away
But no matter the guidelines that states issue, hospitals around the U.S. say patients won’t be turned away for care because of their immigration status. “None of this changes the care patients receive,” said Carrie Williams, a spokesperson for the Texas Hospital Association, which represents hospitals and health care systems in the state. “We don’t want people to avoid care and worsen because they are concerned about immigration questions.”
A Complex Web of Policies and Concerns
An estimated 11 million immigrants live in the United States without authorization, with the largest numbers in California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois, according to Pew Research Center. Half of immigrant adults likely without authorization are uninsured, compared with fewer than 1 in 10 citizens, according to the 2023 KFF-Los Angeles Times Survey of Immigrants, the largest nongovernmental survey of immigrants in the U.S. to date.
While some states are highlighting health care expenses incurred by immigrants, a KFF brief noted that immigrants contribute more to the system through health insurance premiums and taxes than they use. Immigrants also have lower health care costs than citizens.
Conclusion
As the Trump administration continues to implement its immigration policies, hospitals and health care facilities across the country are caught in the middle. While some states are taking a more lenient approach, others are cracking down on immigrants without legal authorization. Amidst the confusion and fear, hospitals are standing firm: no patient will be turned away for care because of their immigration status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the different guidelines states are issuing regarding immigration and health care?
A: California is advising health care providers not to write down patients’ immigration status on bills and medical records, while Florida and Texas are requiring health care facilities to ask about patients’ immigration status.
Q: Will patients be turned away for care because of their immigration status?
A: No, hospitals around the U.S. say patients won’t be turned away for care because of their immigration status.
Q: What are the concerns about Trump’s immigration policies and health care?
A: Trump’s policies have sparked fears and confusion among hospitals and health care facilities, leading to concerns about patient access and the impact on health care services.
