Patients, providers hurt by double whammy of ICE and Medicaid directive

Abstract

A years-long crackdown by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency against immigrants, and this month's new directive by the federal Center for Medicaid and Medicare are Services (CMS) requiring states to ensure patients on Medicaid are eligible in terms of immigration status, has had a chilling effect on care. Patients, even those who are documented, are less likely to seek help due to fear of being detained and deported, and providers report a decreased numbers of people. It doesn't take immigration status to make someone afraid to seek medical care: it can even be just skin color.