September 24, 2007
Definition of 'Emergency Care'?
NYTimes.com is reporting that the federal government will no longer consider chemotherapy 'emergency care.'
The federal government has told New York State health officials that chemotherapy, which had been covered for illegal immigrants under a government-financed program for emergency medical care, does not qualify for coverage. The decision sets the stage for a battle between the state and federal governments over how medical emergencies are defined.
At issue is the definition of 'emergency care.'
Some states have maintained that any time a patient is able to schedule an appointment — as opposed to showing up at an emergency room — the condition would not be considered an emergency. Others, including New York, have defined an emergency as any condition that could become an emergency or lead to death without treatment.
Under a limited provision of Medicaid, the national health program for the poor, the federal government permits emergency coverage for illegal immigrants and other noncitizens. But the Bush administration has been more closely scrutinizing and increasingly denying state claims for federal payment for some emergency services, Medicaid experts said.
Last year the Atlanta Business Chronicle wrote about how this issue is affecting Grady Memorial Hospital.
Grady and other hospitals fear they will end up footing the bill for illegal immigrants in the long run. They say immigrants denied care for chronic illness will only grow sicker, forcing them to return to the emergency room in a worsened condition.
"It's a tremendous burden that Grady must face," said state Sen. Don Thomas, R-Dalton. "They can't simply turn them away because they can't pay, whether they come into the emergency room or for chronic care."