Arizona bill will force hospitals to verify the immigration status of patients

[Bluebear]

Since Senator Russell Pearce became president of the Arizona Senate this year he’s ushered in a barrage of anti-immigrant legislation, most famously the assault on the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of birthright citizenship. Now the original sponsor of the infamous SB1070 has introduced a new bill that should attract even more notoriety. This one has the ominous overtones of being all but guaranteed to cause great harm and even death to some of the people in this state.

Senate Bill 1405 reads as follows:

A. BEFORE A HOSPITAL ADMITS A PERSON FOR NONEMERGENCY CARE, A HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS OFFICER MUST CONFIRM THAT THE PERSON IS A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES, A LEGAL RESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OR LAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES. THE ADMISSIONS OFFICER MAY USE ANY METHOD PRESCRIBED IN SECTION 1-501 TO VERIFY CITIZENSHIP OR LEGAL STATUS....

What this means is that anyone who is admitted to or receives emergency care at a hospital will have to prove that they are lawfully present in the United States. This of course presents a whole hornet’s nest of problems-- the least of which is hospitals will most likely not appreciate being saddled with the added responsibility of immigration enforcement.

Of much greater importance is the likelihood that anyone who happens to be undocumented in this state (an estimated 460,000 people) may avoid hospitals for themselves or their family at all costs-- even if the price is death.

Of course a reasonable person would ask why someone would risk death to avoid deportation. The simple answer is that many who go to hospital emergency rooms really have no idea if their condition is life threatening.

http://open.salon.com/blog/amy_mcmullen/2011/02/10/a_whole_new_kind_of_death_panel

[bluestateguy]

1. This was part of California's prop 187 in 1994

187 passed, but it was never implemented. It was declared unconstitutional.

[Angry Dragon]

2. Just goes to prove that stupid has no bottom

Does he know that applies to him also ........ he has to carry his immigration papers with him at all times

[pampango]

8. It only applies to "them" not to "us", don't you know? At least,

that's their intention. ;)

[SharonAnn]

15. I dont know how I'd prove I'm a citizen. I don't carry my birth certificate or passport with me.

[lbrtbell]

20. You have to give your SS number upon ER admission

I've also had to show my driver's license and insurance card (back when I had one, that is).

I've always had to show these forms of ID *before* being treated. Yes, even when I went to ER for having an object lodged in my throat.

[pampango]

26. Depending on what you look like, you might not have to prove anything.

Perhaps you look like one of "us". If not, maybe you should wear some type of sign on your clothes to prove that you're "one of us". ;)

[AsahinaKimi]

3. Stupid

The lawyers will love this.. sue the Hospitals until they can no longer function.

[gratuitous]

4. We're all INS now

It's the duty of all good citizens to protect America from the scourge of undocumented aliens! They're everywhere, and some of them look just like you or me. Demand to see another person's papers, whether you're in line at Starbucks or rounding third and heading for home. Someone bleeding out on the sidewalk? Don't administer first aid until they can prove to your satisfaction that they're in this country legally, and not just hogging all the good exsanguination spaces that are reserved solely for good, God-fearing Americans!

When in doubt, check it out. Just say, "Papers, please."

This message brought to you by the Department of Homeland Security, saving America from specious threats and justifying a bloated budget since 2002.

[RKP5637]

6. Eventually they will want to tattoo everyones identity on them and/or forced

submission to RFID chips. It's coming. You know, to save the children and for god and country.

[NYC_SKP]

5. !

Clipped from the article linked in the OP:



:mad:

[Demoiselle]

7. Do these people never travel to other countries?

Are they not capable of understanding that they themselves might have a health emergency in another country... an emergency that could kill them while their "papers" are being verified?
Where are the doctors and nurses in all of this?
Disgusting and stupid and inhuman.

[virgogal]

9. I'm not defending the bill but it only refers to non-emergencies.

Emergencies would still be covered.

That's the way I read it.

[abelenkpe]

13. Good thing other countries

don't do that. Ever get a cold or sick while traveling?

[pinboy3niner]

17. The bill also applies to emergency care

The linked article provides the text, including Section C:

C. IF THE HOSPITAL PROVIDES EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE PURSUANT TO FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS TO A PERSON WHO DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION A OF THIS SECTION, ON SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF THE PATIENT THE ADMISSIONS OFFICER MUST CONTACT THE LOCAL FEDERAL IMMIGRATION OFFICE.

[SharonAnn]

16. I have had health emergencies in other countries. Germany, Chile, and Israel.

In all three of them the care was stellar. At least equal to the United States, if not better.

And the cost was very affordable.

[Demoiselle]

18. Me too. Australia was terrific.

..And my father got sick in Canada and was wonderfully cared for.

And yes, we paid for the care, but it was very reasonable.

[lbrtbell]

21. As I mentioned upthread....

Every time I've been to ER here in the USA, I'm never treated until I've shown my "papers" (ID, insurance card, SS#). It's called admissions, and if you're not physically capable of going to the admissions desk, then the hospital will send somebody in to your bedside and ask you questions so they can fill out your forms for you.

NOBODY gets treatment without getting the financial shakedown beforehand. This is, after all, the health care INDUSTRY we're talking about.

[bergie321]

10. Should be great

For foreign tourism...

All of the foreign tourists who come to the Grand Canyon better not hurt themselves while hiking it...

[ZombieHorde]

11. Wait a moment, check out these two lines...

"BEFORE A HOSPITAL ADMITS A PERSON FOR NONEMERGENCY CARE"

~versus~

"What this means is that anyone who is admitted to or receives emergency care at a hospital"

HOLY SHIT! YOU FOUND THE SECRET MESSAGE!

I am completely against the bill, but author's interpretation is a little different than mine.

[pinboy3niner]

19. Another provision covers emergency care:

C. IF THE HOSPITAL PROVIDES EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE PURSUANT TO FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS TO A PERSON WHO DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION A OF THIS SECTION, ON SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF THE PATIENT THE ADMISSIONS OFFICER MUST CONTACT THE LOCAL FEDERAL IMMIGRATION OFFICE.

[ZombieHorde]

25. Aha! That explains it. nt

[abelenkpe]

12. anti immigrant sentiment is product of economic crisis

here in the US and all over the world. During the depression "Hoover authorized the Mexican Repatriation program to combat rampant unemployment, the burden on municipal aid services, and remove people seen as usurpers of American jobs. The program was largely a forced migration of approximately 500,000 Mexicans and Mexican Americans to Mexico, and continued through to 1937." -wikipedia


What gets me about the whole deal is "Mexicans and Mexican Americans." It's eerily similar to what's going on today in AZ. I mean really? Let that type of insanity continue and what's to stop people from forcing out irish americans or italian americans or any other group? The whole thing sounds shameful.

Immigrants are being scapegoated not just here but all across the world where each nation sees similar sentiments rising against foreign workers. It's all due to the desperate times we live in. And it is not our finest hour.

[Starry Messenger]

27. +1000

[Vattel]

28. it may get worse in hard times,

but hatred of immigrants was nearly ubiquitous even before the economic crisis.

[ladjf]

14. Keep it up Arizona. It won't be long before your declining population

becomes problematic. There won't be anyone left except a few mean, old, American white people.

[lbrtbell]

22. That'll never happen

The worse winters get, the more people will flock there. Especially now that the housing bubble has burst, homes are much cheaper than they were just 3-4 years ago. A lot of Canadians are taking advantage of the opportunity to buy homes in the Sun Belt for a bargain price.

Let's hope they're liberals who'll turn the state blue, eh? :)

[former9thward]

23. Arizona is rapidly gaining population.

Nothing to do with this bill but we just got another congressional seat due to the recent Census.

[ladjf]

24. But, things can change over the years. nt