For years, the financial impact of providing hospital care to people living in the United States illegally has remained a subject of fierce political debate, with critics arguing that taxpayers have never been given a complete picture of the true cost. A new proposal from Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) aims to change that by requiring hospitals across the country to begin collecting and reporting those figures to the federal government.
Roy’s newly introduced Illegal Alien Patient Reporting Act would establish a nationwide reporting system modeled after measures already adopted in states such as Florida and Texas. Supporters say the legislation would finally provide transparency on how much public money is being spent on healthcare for individuals who are in the country unlawfully.
Republicans have long argued that the federal government has failed to measure one of the most significant financial consequences of illegal immigration.
