[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E235]
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, February 15, 2011

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce H.R. 541, the Pay 
for All Your Undocumented Procedures (PAY UP!) Act. 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, 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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