Tom Kisken, Ventura County Star, July 3, 2011 Hospitals across California absorb roughly $1.25 billion a year in care for illegal immigrants, including about $26 million in Ventura County, according to a state hospital association supporting a national push for more federal funding for uncompensated care. Eight general care hospitals in Ventura County charge a total of more than $260 million a year on care for uninsured or under-insured patients that isnââ¬â¢t compensated, according to data provided by hospital officials. There are no specific numbers on the portion of uncompensated care spent on illegal immigrants, with hospitals saying they donââ¬â¢t track the population. But California Hospital Association leaders estimate about 10 percent of a hospitalââ¬â¢s uncovered costs come from people without legal status in the United States. ââ¬ÅIf they donââ¬â¢t have Social Security or photo identification or a Mexican consulate card, if they donââ¬â¢t have any of those, we estimate they are undocumented,ââ¬Â said Jan Emerson-Shea, vice president of external affairs with the California Hospital Association. She characterized the $1.25 billion calculation for 2010 as imperfect, offering certainty only on what direction the number is headed. ââ¬ÅIt absolutely is growing,ââ¬Â she said. {snip} Uncompensated care for illegal immigrants is a huge problem because hospitals are forced to pass on the costs, said U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach. ââ¬ÅWhen you see $5 aspirin, itââ¬â¢s not $5 aspirin, itââ¬â¢s not corruption, itââ¬â¢s the hospital trying to take care of the illegal alien who didnââ¬â¢t have insurance,ââ¬Â Rohrabacher said. He contends the answer isnââ¬â¢t in providing more money for hospitals, but rather in reducing the illegal immigrant population. {snip} ââ¬ÅAs long as weââ¬â¢re providing benefits, more and more of them will come to get the benefits. You canââ¬â¢t blame them for that,ââ¬Â he said, then assessing the financial impacts of illegal immigration. ââ¬ÅItââ¬â¢s bankrupting our country.ââ¬Â {snip} U.S. Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, thinks the answer is coming up with an immigration reform solution that provides a pathway for undocumented people to become legal residents. If the White House and Congress come up with a plan for more funding for hospitals, it means taxpayers will be hit, Capps said. But if thereââ¬â¢s not more funding, insurance premiums will rise as hospitals try to pass on their uncompensated costs. ââ¬ÅTaxpayers end up paying no matter what,ââ¬Â she said. http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2011/07/hospitals_may_a.php