A new law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis cuts the amount of Medicaid the state of Florida pays to illegal immigrants by more than half.
Politico reported that spending on Florida’s emergency medical assistance program for illegal immigrants has been cut by 54% this year, falling from $148.4 million to $67 million with two months left in the fiscal year.
The dramatic drop occurred after Gov. DeSantis signed a law last year directing hospitals that accept Medicaid to ask patients about their immigration status, the report noted, though the law does not require immigrants to provide responses to hospitals.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (DeSantis 2024 Election)
Federal law bars illegal immigrants from qualifying for Medicaid but creates exceptions that require states to provide limited coverage to immigrants facing medical emergencies.
The report said immigrant advocacy groups have expressed concern that the new law will discourage immigrants from seeking emergency medical care in the state, but the DeSantis administration has touted the results as proof his policy is working.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addresses Iowa voters. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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The law is part of the Republican governor’s sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration, a measure he claims is necessitated by the Biden administration’s southern border policies.
President Biden walks along the US-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, on January 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnick, File)
Critics of the law argue there’s no evidence the law is to blame for the decline in spending, citing data showing an outflow of immigrants from the state and spending on emergency medical care for immigrants has declined since fiscal year 2022. That year, the state spent $171.4 million, falling to $148.4 million in fiscal year 2023.
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The state approved more than 147,000 emergency authorizations in fiscal year 2022, but that number dropped to 116,000 in 2023. With two months left until the end of fiscal year 2024, the department has issued just 99,000 similar authorizations.
DeSantis’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
