Yuma's only hospital is required to care for migrants, then forced to eat the cost
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The lifting of Title 42 this month and the resulting dramatic increase in migrants seeking asylum will have a profound impact on local health care facilities already stretched thin by the ongoing border crisis.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been all over the news about the stress that his city is under after receiving approximately 53,000 migrants over the past year and bemoaning the pressure they put on a city of 8.5 million people.
With all due respect to Mayor Adams, the Yuma sector alone has received more than 300,000 migrants in that same period.
Imagine the stress that puts on a city of fewer than 100,000 people.
Our hospital is required to treat migrants
Yuma Regional Medical Center is the sole medical facility in close proximity to the border in the Yuma sector, and we find ourselves in the true eye of the storm.
The federal government legally requires hospitals to provide care under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act but fails to adequately reimburse them for treating asylum seekers, putting hospitals on shaky financial ground.
The time has come for policymakers to acknowledge the long-term consequences and take swift action.
Located a mere 10 miles away from a major port of entry, Yuma Regional Medical Center plays an essential role in caring for migrants in need of medical attention.
The hospital treats myriad health issues stemming from the arduous journeys undertaken by migrants, including illnesses, injuries, even childbirths.
Feds haven't reimbursed us for this care
The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act obligates the hospital to provide care to all individuals, regardless of their ability to pay.
While commendable, the mandate poses a grave threat to the hospital's financial viability.
Over the past 18 months, Yuma Regional Medical Center has provided approximately $26 million worth of medical care to migrants without any reimbursement from the federal government.
Nearly a third of the spending was for emergency services and another 28% were to treat women and children, a bulk of which were maternity patients who had little or no previous natal care.
Without proper reimbursement, the hospital’s resources are stretched thin, hindering its capacity to deliver care to those who depend on it most.
The issue extends far beyond the hospital’s walls, impacting the entire community’s access to essential health care services.
It's unfair to shift the burden onto us
The federal government’s handling of the influx of migrants has created an even greater crisis for Yuma Regional Medical Center and other border hospitals.
On the one hand, the surge in migrants seeking asylum has overwhelmed the resources and capacities of these medical facilities.
On the other hand, the government fails to provide adequate compensation for the care that these hospitals are legally bound to provide.
Federal migrant response: Adds to low morale at border agencies
It is unfair and unjust to shift the financial burden onto private entities like ours, which are already integral to the well-being of the local community.
The Biden administration must address these problems and provide health care reimbursement for treatment of migrants.
This hurts Yuma and our residents, too
Despite Yuma seeing more than triple the number of migrants compared to New York, the disparity in attention and support is glaring.
We urgently need better communication from elected officials and a genuine commitment to resolving this crisis.
Yuma is not alone in grappling with these challenges; other border states are experiencing similar situations with their health care facilities.
The lack of proper reimbursement for the care provided to migrants carries severe consequences.
Policymakers must recognize the broader implications and enact solutions to ensure that border hospitals are not driven into financial ruin.
Because whatever fallout they experience will be felt, too, by the communities and citizens they serve. They all deserve better from government.
Robert J. Trenschel, DO, MPH is president & CEO of Yuma Regional Medical Center. Reach him at RTrenschel@yumaregional.org.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Yuma hospital can't care for this many migrants without federal help
