A proposal will be introduced in Congress next month that will force hospitals to report illegal immigrants who come to the emergency room to USCIS.

Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher will introduce this plan in response to the new Medicare law that is designating hospitals throughout the nation an estimated $1 billion over 10 years to treat undocumented aliens.  It is the opinion of Rohrabacher that hospitals should not get taxpayer money for treating illegal immigrants unless they are willing to turn in undocumented patients to the INS.

According to a 1986 federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, hospitals in the United States that offer emergency care must treat all patients who walk into the emergency room regardless of their economic or immigration status.  Under Rohrabacher’s proposal, hospitals would continue to be required to treat undocumented patients, but the hospitals would be required to turn them over to immigration officials within two hours of providing treatment. 

Because of a deal Rohrabacher made with leaders in November during a debate over a Republican-backed Medicare bill, it is likely that his bill will get to the House floor for a vote.  Rohrabacher’s vote was needed, as he often influences other conservative congressmen.  It was decided that Rohrabacher would support the Medicare bill and House leaders would allow him to bring his INS-reporting bill to legislators for a vote in January.

Some of those who oppose Rohrabacher’s bill have said the bill could trigger a public health crisis, especially in areas with large immigrant populations.  They have said that scaring immigrants away from hospitals would eventually cost hospitals more money by forcing people to put off medical care until they are deathly ill.