CMW News: AMA investigates repatriation of hospital patients
Case Management Weekly, November 19, 2008
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The American Medical Association’s House of Delegates has voted to investigate the issue of hospitals repatriating uninsured immigrant patients after the California Medical Association voted to ban forced repatriation, and several reports on this issue were published in The New York Times.
Hospitals face a difficult problem finding funding to care for uninsured immigrant patients with serious, ongoing medical conditions. Hospitals often absorb the entire cost of caring for these patients, which makes repatriation, or the process of sending immigrants back to their countries of origin, appealing in situations where patients have no other recourse and hospitals face extended or indefinite stays. Currently, there is no national legislation that guides hospitals regarding which patients with what conditions should be sent to their home countries.
Critics of repatriation point to the health risks involved with moving extremely sick or severely disabled patients, especially those being sent back to less economically developed countries or if a lot of travel time is involved. Proponents argue that patients can have very good outcomes if patients and families are willing and cooperative. However, repatriation is often conducted against the patient’s or family’s wishes.
Sources: HealthLeaders Media, The New York Times
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