Surgeon says deport illegal immigrants after treatment

The Times News
BURLEY - A Burley surgeon wants Mini-Cassia to put some teeth in indigent medical programs in both counties - teeth that would bite illegal aliens who seek medical help but never return for follow-up care or pay for the service.

Dr. Joseph Petersen told Minidoka County commissioners Monday that both hospitals, Cassia Regional Medical Center and Minidoka Memorial Hospital, should require illegal aliens to be deported once they are either healed or released from hospital care. He said this would mean a reduction of serious injuries left without follow-up in both counties.
Petersen suggested that any emergency case resulting from drunkenness or fights require the victim to provide proof of legal status and a name of an employer.

"I know we have HIPPA (HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT), but the fact of the matter is that when someone comes in with a knife wound, that is a felony and there is no such thing as rights to privacy in such situations," Petersen said.

"We need to have those who are in the country illegally know that if they aren't willing to have their cases followed up, then the option will be to be deported back to Mexico once they've been treated and are ready to leave the hospital."

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), was the result of efforts by the Clinton Administration and congressional healthcare reform proponents to reform healthcare. The goals and objectives of this legislation are to streamline industry inefficiencies, reduce paperwork, make it easier to detect and prosecute fraud and abuse and enable workers of all professions to change jobs, even if they (or family members) had pre-existing medical conditions. source

Title II: preventing health-care fraud and abuse

I think the doctor makes a good point. However the downside is, for fear of deportation people might hesitate to go to the doctor if they have a serious injury or illness.

Another Catch-22?