Immigration Laws/Family Practice Clinics.?
Answer:
If you are govt. funded you have follow the laws of your county.No govt. funded clinic or county hospital can refuse treatment to individuals, regardless of status.
Your attorney should give you guidance on this. Since you are receiving government funding, this matter should be clearly spelled out in the guidelines. You can't rely on what people tell you on Yahoo, because we don't have all the facts to do with your situation and there could be legal ramifications if you make a wrong decision. For example, what if the guidelines dictate that you have to verify citizenship before giving assistance and you violated it due to ignorance?
It is unethical and unprofessional and violates nursing and medical codes of practice to NOT see any human who presents in need of attention. No law supersedes human decency.
I know, from a casual conversation with a Medicaid employee whom I know, that new laws went into effect last July regarding documentation of income and status, and that many immigrants are freaking out when they get here and find out they can be legally turned away for not providing the required documentation. I don't know all the details though, so if you can't find an attorney with experience in this area, you might want to start with calling your state's health department. They have to be in compliance with all the federal stuff, so maybe they can at least point you in the right direction to find the facts.
Which state?
"Government funded" means at the taxpayers expense
In other words your clinic is taking tax dollars and using them illegally for non citizens of the United States of America.
You are in the medical industry and you better than most know what a large influx of illegal aliens into emergency rooms can do to a hospital, it will shut them down because of funds and this is for those that are NOT government funded. The government funded ones are using the taxpayers as toilet paper by accepting illegal aliens when it is not a life or death situation. A family clinic is for NON emergencies.
I know that at the emergency room where I live, you can and will be turned away for not having the ability to pay if the illness/injury is not life threatening.
The emergency room is only required to treat those who are about to give birth or present critical care needs.
Actually Section 8, USC 1324 will explain that you cannot aide or abett illegal immigrants regardless of your beliefs or religion. Add Section 274 A of the INA and you now have enough to refuse treatment and you have every reason to call ICE each time one comes in. I would suggest that you write down all their names and addresses and all other information you can glean that would help ICE prosecute the illegals even surrepticious pictures if you can get them; and send that information in an anonymous package, preferably mixed with some other organizations findings to protect yourself -- send it to ICE with a copy to yourself and several trusted friends. Report, Report, Report. Technically we aren't supposed to refuse medical treatment but that doesn't mean we can't call ICE and let them know where these illegals are. That's our Citizen Patriotic Duty. Do it. You can get rewards for turning in these lawbreakers, too.
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