Speech #1020150478

These trauma centers have lived up to the obligations the Federal Government has placed upon them. Since the Federal Government has created the financial dilemma forcing many trauma centers to close their doors or down grade their services. it should be the responsibility of the Federal Government to assist trauma centers in receiving the necessary funding to continue serving all patients. Currently it is estimated that 1 to 2 million undocumented aliens enter the United States annually. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 30 percent of these will require health care. rE 8375 and 40 percent of the costs will be for emergency care. While this problem has impacted health care reimbursement in California. it is not a problem unique to California. Problems with undocumented aliens exist across the Nation with undocumented aliens compounding already compromised trauma care in the midwestern and Northeastern States. The magnitude of this problem cannot be legitimately examined because most undocumented aliens will not or are afraid to admit they are in the country illegally. As I stated. when undocumented aliens present themselves to our Nations trauma centers. the trauma center rarely receives payment for care providedthereby writing off the bill. In San Diego. one facility has 1118 percent undocumented alien trauma cases. with an estimated unreimbursed cost of $2.7 million. To further illustrate this point. a young male recently sneaked across the border into Arizona. was shot. evaluated at a local emergency department and eventually airlifted to a regional trauma center. He will now receive trauma care. at the average cost of $3.000 per day with no hope of reimbursing the facility for its services. At a time when trauma centers already provide uncompensated care to uninsured or indigent U.S. citizens. continued costs related to trauma care of undocumented aliens places trauma centers in Jeopardy of closing or downgrading their trauma services due to financial constraints. Trauma care represents 12 percent of all unsponsored acute hospital care. In 1988 it was estimated that an average trauma victim incurred a bill of $12.000.