New Mexico. and in Florida. In Florida. for example. 10 of these centers have closed since 1985. It may well be that any State which has trauma centers serving a significant number of undocumented persons has or shortly will have the Identical problem. These trauma centers are struggling. and some have succumbed to the struggle and closed through no fault of their own but rather they are simply the victims of the Federal Governments inability to control the Nations border. Mr. President. without financial relief these trauma centers along the border will not survive. The deterioration of the trauma care network creates problems for the needed trauma care for all individuals. the U.S. residents in the area of the border as well as undocumented aliens. It makes no difference whether we are talking about people who are insured or uninsured. rich or poor. U.S. citizens or not. This legislation entitled "The Trauma Care Alien Compensation Act of 1990" has been introduced as well on the House side by my colleague. Congressman LoveY. and is designed to provide the financial relief to trauma care facilities which are treating a disproportionate number of undocumented aliens. The bill provides $20 million to qualified trauma centers that demonstrate that at least 15 percent of their unreimbursed trauma care costs arise from the treatment of undocumented patients. Clearly $20 million will not provide full reimbursement to all the trauma centers in all the States that require assistance. Further. my legislation does not solve the full range of trauma care centers uncompensated care problems. But the Trauma Care Alien Compensation Act can help keep open the doors of some of the trauma centers hardest hit by this continuing flow of undocumented aliens into the country until such time as Congress. the Federal Government. can come up with an approach that is effective in stopping that flow. Trauma care centers take their responsibility to save lives and to provide the best care possible to their patients. legal and illegal. very seriously. By supporting this proposal Congress can show those hospitals that we take them and the critical life and death care that they provide just as seriously.
Keywords matched
undocumented