The Arizona GOP proposes yet another death panel

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Is it not enough that Governor Grim Reaper has issued a death sentence to organ transplant patients?

Now the Arizona GOP proposes yet another death panel. A Whole New Kind of Death Panel – Amy McMullen – Open Salon:

Arizona bill will force hospitals to verify the immigration status of patients

Since Senator Russell Pearce became president of the Arizona Senate this year he’s ushered in a barrage of anti-immigrant legislation, most famously the assault on the 14^th Amendment’s guarantee of birthright citizenship. Now the original sponsor of the infamous SB1070 has introduced a new bill that should attract even more notoriety. This one has the ominous overtones of being all but guaranteed to cause great harm and even death to some of the people in this state.

Senate Bill 1405 reads as follows:

A.  BEFORE A HOSPITAL ADMITS A PERSON FOR NONEMERGENCY CARE, A HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS OFFICER MUST CONFIRM THAT THE PERSON IS A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES, A LEGAL RESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OR LAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES.  THE ADMISSIONS OFFICER MAY USE ANY METHOD PRESCRIBED IN SECTION 1-501 TO VERIFY CITIZENSHIP OR LEGAL STATUS.

B.  IF THE ADMISSIONS OFFICER DETERMINES THAT THE PERSON DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION A OF THIS SECTION, THE ADMISSIONS OFFICER MUST CONTACT THE LOCAL FEDERAL IMMIGRATION OFFICE.

C.  IF THE HOSPITAL PROVIDES EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE PURSUANT TO FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS TO A PERSON WHO DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION A OF THIS SECTION, ON SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT OF THE PATIENT THE ADMISSIONS OFFICER MUST CONTACT THE LOCAL FEDERAL IMMIGRATION OFFICE.

D.  A HOSPITAL THAT COMPLIES WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION IS NOT SUBJECT TO CIVIL LIABILITY.

What this means is that anyone who is admitted to or receives emergency care at a hospital will have to prove that they are lawfully present in the United States. This of course presents a whole hornet’s nest of problems– the least of which is hospitals will most likely not appreciate being saddled with the added responsibility of immigration enforcement.

Of much greater importance is the likelihood that anyone who happens to be undocumented in this state (an estimated 460,000 people) may avoid hospitals for themselves or their family at all costs– even if the price is death.

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Of course it’s not just children who are at risk with this bill. Mothers who are in labor will need to choose whether to go to the hospital and risk deportation or take the chance that their delivery will be an uncomplicated one to have at home—a very real risk as many of these women do not receive good prenatal care. Midwives who attend births will be forced to contend with sending their patients off to certain deportation when a breech or other complication threatens the mother and baby or, if their patient refuses to go, being left in an untenable situation. An adult with an infection will not get treatment and could end up with overwhelming sepsis. Victims of beatings, stabbings, or other violent crimes will refuse to seek treatment. Cancer patients will be unwilling to have surgery to remove a fast-growing tumor. The list of bad outcomes possible with this kind of legislation is simply endless.

And how long before the scope of this law is expanded? Will emergency medical providers in the field be required to verify immigration status of their patients? Will urgent care clinics need immigration policies? Doctor’s offices? Home health nurses and midwives?

The rationale offered by the proponents of this bill appears to be that undocumented people really don’t deserve medical care– or perhaps they do but only if they are willing to accept deportation as the cost. They’re here “illegally” and now the punishment we are willing to mete out for this breach of our broken immigration system is death or disability. “Let them die” is often heard from the haters of the undocumented– these so-called law-abiding folks who have decided that they are judge, jury and executioner of human beings who have at most committed a misdemeanor.

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The goal stated by Senator Russell Pearce is to drive the undocumented out of this state. One can only surmise that he feels that the inevitable death of children is but a small price to pay to reach this objective.

Arizona Senate Democrats have issued the following Media Advisory.

Media Advisory: Measure to require citizenship checks in hospitals

STATE CAPITOL, Phoenix – Sen. Steve Gallardo, Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox and medical professionals will hold a news conference regarding SB 1405 on Monday, Feb. 14 at 12:30 p.m. in Senate Hearing Room 1.

Date:               Monday, Feb. 14

Time:              12:30 p.m.

Location:        Senate Hearing Room 1, 1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix, Ariz.

SB 1405 requires a hospital to call immigration officials before admitting a person for nonemergency care if the person could not prove citizenship or legal status. The measure also requires a hospital to contact immigration officials for people seeking emergency care once the patient is successfully treated.

SB 1405 will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee which begins on Monday afternoon upon completion of the Senate Floor Session at approximately 2 p.m.

The full text of SB 1405 is online at: http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/50leg/1r/bills/sb1405p.htm

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