Denver Health and Government Affairs Director Dr. Steve Federico went on Fox News Thursday to detail the “humanitarian crisis” occurring at state hospitals affected by the immigration crisis and called on Congress for additional funding.
Federico appeared on “The Ingraham Angle” to discuss recent reports of hospital systems facing challenges due to the ongoing immigration crisis. The health chief said millions of dollars spent on “free care” was a problem even before the migrant crisis. The hospital's financial situation “significantly limits” its ability to provide “expanded care.” (Related: Exclusive: Republican Rep. Ken Buck introduces bill to target federally funded health care for illegal immigrants)
“Additional public support is absolutely necessary to provide care to safety net hospitals such as Denver Health.As a reminder, $135 million in uncompensated care This is something that the Denver Health Department was experiencing before the people who came to Denver, so our ability to provide and expand care to them was severely limited by economic conditions before the immigrants arrived. ” said Federico.
The health director said the hospital was “begging the policy makers to resign,” citing problems his colleagues were facing in treating patients. Federico said that although his own medical practice continues to “strengthen”, he fears patients will not be able to stay “safe and healthy” and called for a “better system”. (Related: California offers taxpayer-funded health insurance to illegal immigrants)
“So we need to respond to this huge humanitarian crisis in emergency rooms and clinics. So what we're asking for is for policymakers to step up and provide this care. It’s about properly funding providers,” Federico said.
“As a pediatrician, I can tell you what my colleagues see every day. They see humans coming in seeking medical care. And, as you know, our hospitals and medical teams continue to We are proud to be stepping up and supporting these people in their time of need. But we will need additional financial support to do it the right way.”
“My medical partners and colleagues have experienced many moral conflicts, kept up at night after caring for these patients, and wondered if they would receive the necessary medications prescribed and subsequent follow-up care. We're going to need it in the days and weeks after that. We need better systems to help these people get back on their feet and stay safe and healthy,” Federico said.
Denver hospitals warned the Colorado city on Monday that they were facing challenges due to the state's immigration crisis, and Denver Health CEO Donna Lynn said the increase in visitor numbers meant He said there were unexpected costs, The Denver Post reported. report. The Denver Health Department has reportedly requested additional funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover immigrants' medical costs not covered by federal and state authorities. The report said Denver Health spent $136 million on patients who didn't pay their bills.
The office of Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis told Politico that the state is deporting illegal immigrants from Colorado to send them to their final destination. According to a report in Politico, the response came after New York City Mayor Eric Adams' office released a report on Polis' illegal immigration efforts.
