Recent reports have highlighted the increasing burden on hospitals in Florida due to rising migrant medical costs. In Florida alone, hospitals provided approximately $566 million in healthcare to immigrants residing in the U.S. illegally. Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, known as the busiest hospital in Florida for migrant healthcare, attended to 3,900 migrants in just six months.
A new law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis mandates public hospitals to inquire about patients' immigration status upon check-in. Out of 54,000 individuals who disclosed being unlawfully present in the U.S. during hospital visits from June to December 2023, the estimated cost to Florida was $566 million. However, it is important to note that this figure assumes that all illegal migrants did not pay for their healthcare services.
Immigration advocates have criticized this assumption, with over 480,000 patients refusing to answer questions about their immigration status. The Florida Immigration Coalition led a campaign encouraging individuals to decline answering such inquiries, emphasizing that immigration status is a personal matter, not the government's concern.
State health officials suggest that the actual cost of illegal migrant healthcare is likely higher than reported, leaving hospitals with unpaid bills. This uncompensated care places a financial strain on taxpayers, particularly hardworking Floridians. Florida is anticipated to be the sole state tracking this specific data.
At Jackson Memorial Hospital, the emergency department alone recorded 3,200 migrant visits within the same six-month period, underscoring the significant impact of migrant healthcare on hospital resources.
