[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 10, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HELP BORDER HEALTHCARE

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                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 10, 2009

  Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce H.R. 1386, the 
Pay for All Your Undocumented Procedures (PAY UP!) Act of 2009. This 
bill will provide payments for emergency services provided to 
undocumented aliens.
  The costs of uncompensated emergency care for undocumented immigrants 
are sky high and border area hospitals, physicians, and ambulance 
providers are choking on the costs that they have to eat. My bill, the 
Pay for All Your Undocumented Procedures (PAY UP!) Act of 2009, is the 
first step to solving this problem which is well known in border 
communities.
  Undocumented aliens receive emergency services in a hospital and yet 
that hospital is not reimbursed for these services. My bill will ensure 
that the healthcare providers are reimbursed for the emergency services 
they provide.
  My bill makes permanent a provision of the Medicare Modernization Act 
that provided payments to eligible providers for procedures for 
undocumented aliens. The bill authorizes $250 million a year to 
reimburse eligible providers for this care. Two-thirds of the funds are 
divided among the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on their 
relative percentages of undocumented aliens, the last third is divided 
among the 6 states with the largest number of undocumented aliens.

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