Phoenix, Arizona — Republican lawmakers in Arizona are advancing legislation that would require hospitals to ask patients about their citizenship status, even as health care workers warn that the growing presence of federal immigration agents in medical facilities is deterring people from seeking critical care.
The proposal would mandate that hospitals accepting Medicaid include a voluntary citizenship question on patient intake forms. While the bill bars hospitals and the Arizona Department of Health Services from collecting names or other identifying information, critics argue the policy would still create fear among immigrant communities. Similar laws in Texas and Florida have been linked to patients delaying or avoiding medical treatment despite assurances that responses are optional.
Rep. Ralph Heap (R–Mesa), the bill’s sponsor, told lawmakers the measure is intended to gather data on the cost of care for undocumented patients and better support hospitals absorbing those expenses. Democrats on the House Health and Human Services Committee pushed back, noting that undocumented immigrants are largely excluded from Medicaid under federal law and rely primarily on emergency care, which represents less than 1% of total Medicaid spending.
Health care organizations across Arizona, including hospital associations and nursing groups, formally opposed the bill. Physicians testified that past immigration crackdowns, such as Arizona’s 2010 SB1070 law, sharply reduced hospital visits and endangered patients. Lawmakers also raised concerns that aggregated reports could later be used by federal authorities to target hospitals with higher immigrant populations.
The bill passed out of committee on a party-line vote and now heads to the full House, where it is expected to pass before likely facing a veto from Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.
Sources:
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
