By Marisa Trevino
Dallas, TX – A few months ago, my mom sent an email to all the family, which began, "Dear Folks, As most of you know, I'm a firm believer in home remedies." I had to laugh because Mom's belief was born partly out of her fear of needles, but, to a greater extent, from the legacy handed down among the women in our family who can whip, mix and boil just about any concoction to soothe common ailments before they become major.
Though to this day, my mother staunchly refuses to surrender to standard medical practices unless absolutely forced to, my grandmother (surprisingly) was the opposite. In fact, she often delighted in showing off her shoebox of pildoras prescribed by her doctor. And when she had a doctor's appointment, it was as sacred to her as going to Sunday Mass.
Because of an opinion issued by Texas Attorney General John Cornyn regarding a 1996 federal law, county hospitals have been put on notice to stop providing non-emergency health care to undocumented immigrants. According to the law, undocumented immigrants can only receive emergency room care, immunizations, and treatment for communicable diseases and child abuse.
Some think that those services alone are more than generous. One such group is the Young Conservatives of Texas, who filed a complaint with the Houston District Attorney's office accusing the Harris County Hospital District of not following the letter of the law. Because of the group's complaint, a criminal investigation is underway. County hospitals across the state are on edge to see how this is resolved. The decision could have far greater ramifications.
It could not only impact Texas but any state who, like Texas, has not enacted a law amending the federal ruling and has seen an influx in their immigrant population, along with rising anti-immigrant feelings.
"The whole thing is just mindless and mean-spirited," says Dr. Ron Anderson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dallas' Parkland Health & Hospital System.
Like my grandmother, who knew it was better to be treated for a minor ailment than a major one, Dr. Anderson and other public health experts contend it makes no sense on an economic level to wait to treat people until they're at their sickest and in need of the most expensive treatment.
One glaring example of this can be found in Parkland's labor and delivery department. According to hospital figures, Parkland delivers more babies than any hospital in the nation. The majority of those births are Hispanic. Dr. Anderson admits that a good number most probably are the children of undocumented immigrants, but since delivery is considered an emergency procedure, it falls well within the confines of the 1996 federal law.
The problem occurs when the hospital cannot provide prenatal care, which is considered non-emergency treatment. But it is an emergency when, according to Dr. Anderson, a woman who delivers without receiving prenatal care is six times more likely to deliver a baby who requires costly intensive care treatment upon birth.
Laws are supposed to be for the common good. There is little good accomplished when we start treating people as less than human.
Marisa Trevino is a writer from Rowlett.