Speech #1020145056

WAXMAN. for working with me on Incorporating my bill. H.R. 4285. the Trauma Care Center Alien Compensation Act of 1992. into the pending measure before the House today. I am also glad that he agrees with me that the Federal Government should shoulder its share of the burden that the undocumented alien population is placing on our Nations trauma care centers. Along those lines. I extend my thanks to the gentleman from Texas for not only being an original cosponsor of my measure. but helping me raise the awareness In the Congress of this problem which has existed for quite some time. I introduced this same measure last Congress with the intention of assisting State and local governments in the maintenance and improvement of regional systems in trauma care. Based upon recent Congressional Budget Office [CBOJ estimates of the undocumentfd alien population and the Census Bureaus estimates of yearly growth in this targeted population. approximately 6 million undocumented aliens and alien workers will be potential users of Americas health care systems in 1992. Of the 6 million undocumented aliens present in the country. approximately 1.8 million will utilize some form of health care services available to the population at large. and that 40 percent of the costs incurred will be attributable to emergency medical services. My legislation establishes a program of formula grants to compensate in whole or in part. certain trauma care centers for unreimbursed costs incurred by treating undocumented aliens. The bill provides for $50 million in each of fiscal years 199396 to trauma care centers which show they incurred at least 15 percent of their unreimbursed trauma care costs from undocumented aliens. Under this provision. trauma care centers must prove that they attempted to track down the patient to recover the costs. But once they have demonstrated to the Secretary of Health and Human Services that a genuine effort at recouping the costs of trauma care provided has been attempted. assistance from the Federal Government will be provided.