Global Pulse Blog

In this week’s issue of NEJM, Dr. Lucas Restrepo from the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ, articulates concerns over the impact of Arizona’s controversial immigration law, SB 1070, on access to medical care in the state:

It can be argued that health care providers who neglect to report illegal immigrants under their care will violate the law and be considered criminals. The bill provides physicians with no guidance as to what constitutes “reasonable grounds” to suspect that somebody is in the country illegally, leaving the particulars of such scrutiny to anyone’s imagination (although the fact that Arizona shares a border with Mexico rather than a European country suggests that whites will not be “reasonable” suspects).

Dr. Restrepo and colleagues also published a letter in the Arizona Republic earlier:

As physicians, we are concerned about the immigration bill signed by Gov. Jan Brewer. We care for many patients who may appear foreign based on superficial impressions. It is unclear whether health-care professionals like ourselves will infringe on the law if we don’t report patients or their families to the police or immigration authorities based on a vague suspicion of illegality. . . . Senate Bill 1070 tacitly prescribes a break with one of the oldest traditions of medicine: Physicians shall protect patients regardless of nationality or race [emph. added].

In a statement released on May 18, the National Physicians Alliance and CIR/SEIU-Healthcare condemn the law as “an affront to human rights and a devastating step backwards for the health and well being of the entire nation,” and warn that it will “create new obstacles to obtaining needed health care.”

More on Arizona SB 1070:

• Some 50,000 protesters gather in Phoenix on May 29 to demonstrate against the law
• Immigrant groups and workers’ organizations (Hispanic and not) urge a boycott of Arizona
• The Sound Strike, a group of musicians and performers headed by Zach de la Rocha, boycotts AZ

Does Arizona’s law go too far? Do you think it is likely to affect the practice of medicine in the state? Do doctors have a role to play in this debate? Join the discussion by leaving a comment!

For those of us interested in the health care rights of excluded groups in the US, I wanted to share some thoughts from Friday’s presentation by Clarissa Martinez de Castro of the National Council of La Raza, on the inclusion of immigrants in the ongoing health care reform efforts.

• Children of immigrants in the US are eligible for health coverage under current state laws and policies.  However, many parents are unaware of this and are fearful of seeking medical care for their children.  Furthermore, under previous policies, children and pregnant women who had been in the US for less than 5 years were excluded from these programs.  The recent reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is an important step forward, extending coverage to over 4 million children of working immigrants and doing away with the 5-year waiting period.
• However, much work remains to be done in promoting the health rights of all immigrants and new American residents.  Some of the themes behind the persistent disparities in health care for Hispanics and immigrants in the US are lack of health insurance; lack of access to health services; shortage of health services and information in Spanish; and discrimination and fear of the system.
• The NCLR poses the following criteria for judging new health care reform legislation: inclusivity of all of the nation’s residents; equity in employer-based coverage requirements and quality of care; affordability; access; and respect for Latinos and other immigrants.

Link to Miami Herald article on the reauthorization of SCHIP.

Link to the NCLR’s Wave of Hope campaign page.

Coming in a future post:  what you can do to make your clinic/hospital more immigrant-friendly.