The escalating expenses of health care for migrants have become a significant concern for hospitals and medical centers in Florida. With costs reaching into the billions, a substantial portion of these bills remains unpaid, posing a financial challenge for healthcare providers.
One of the hospitals grappling with this issue is Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. The hospital has reported that in order to cope with the mounting costs associated with providing care to migrants, they may need to raise prices for paying customers and seek additional taxpayer funding to support the hiring of more nurses and acquisition of necessary equipment.
As the largest hospital for migrant health care in the region, Jackson Memorial Hospital attended to over 3,900 migrants in a span of six months. A new law signed by Governor DeSantis mandates public hospitals to inquire about patients' immigration status upon admission. Between June and December 2023, approximately 54,000 individuals revealed that they were not lawfully present in the US during their hospital visits, resulting in an estimated cost of $566 million to the state of Florida.
However, it is crucial to acknowledge that this financial figure is based on the assumption that all undocumented migrants did not settle their medical bills post-treatment. Immigration advocates argue that this assumption is misleading. The report also highlights that over 480,000 patients declined to disclose their immigration status, with the Florida Immigration Coalition leading a campaign advocating for patients' right to withhold this information.
State health care officials suggest that the actual cost of health care for illegal migrants is likely higher than what is indicated in the report, leaving hospitals burdened with unpaid expenses. This situation ultimately impacts taxpayers, as the cost of uncompensated care is shifted onto hardworking Floridians. Florida stands out as the sole state currently monitoring this type of data, shedding light on the financial strain faced by healthcare facilities due to providing care for migrants.
