Immigrant Daily

Federal Government Refuses Healthcare Payments for Immigrants

On September 22, 2007, the New York Times published  the story “U.S Rule Limits Emergency Care for Immigrants,” where the federal and state governments are disputing Emergency Medicaid coverage.  According to the times “the state estimated that the federal government denied $60 million in matching funds for emergency Medicaid from 2001 to 2006, including $11.1 million for chemotherapy.  Medicaid costs are typically split evenly between the state and the federal government.”  As a result of such a dispute, the state of New York  has revoked cancer treatment for immigrants, a population composed roughly of 500,000 people.  “In New York City, cancer kills 15,000 residents a year.  It is the second leading cause of death among both the native- and the foreign-born, according to a 2006 survey by the city’s health department, with lung, breast and colon cancer as the top killers.”

The federal decision to refuse NY state reimbursement for cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, symbolizes 10  steps back for medical officials that fought  to incorporate early breast cancer screening programs into the medicaid programs.  The decisions the federal government has made in the Medicare sector affects women and children mostly from minority groups that have the short end of the stick in terms of health protection not only in New York State but nationwide.

NY Times Article