County Policies on Care for Undocumented Immigrants Spark Worry
As California counties eliminate nonemergency health care services to undocumented immigrants, critics warn that the change in policy could shift the cost of such care to emergency departments and lead to ED overcrowding, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Sacramento and Contra Costa counties already have restricted services to undocumented immigrants, and Yolo County leaders are set to vote on a similar proposal on May 5.
John Schunhoff, interim director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, said L.A. County leaders are not considering restricting services despite projected budget deficits.
Robert Pestronk, executive director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, said policies eliminating health care services for undocumented immigrants are likely to get more popular nationwide as the recession continues, property tax revenue declines and the number of newly uninsured patients increases (Gorman, Los Angeles Times, 4/27). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.