The U.S. state of Florida spent nearly $660 million on health care for undocumented immigrants in 2024, new data shows, which could spark nationwide debate in the future. Newsweek reported.
Why It Matters
Health care costs appear to be an obstacle to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ priority to cut such taxpayer-funded services for undocumented immigrants, according to the report.
The issue also feeds into a larger national debate over immigration, especially as former President Donald Trump continues to implement mandatory mass deportations and a strict border policy as part of his campaign promises.
What To Know
According to Newsweek, on Tuesday (March 11), the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) announced an updated version of its Hospital Patient Immigration Status Dashboard. It’s a tool that tracks how many patients are being admitted to the hospital and how many are in the emergency room by the patients’ immigration status.
The report also states that in 2024, patients who entered the United States illegally made 67,700 emergency room visits, resulting in nearly $76.6 million in Medicaid payments for their emergency care.
The state will spend $659.9 million on health care for immigrants across Florida in 2024, according to the report. On the other hand, in 2023, spending reached $566 million in the seven months from June to December.
AHCA Deputy Secretary Kim Smoak said in a statement that the agency is committed to fulfilling Governor DeSantis’ promise to ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars are not spent on people who are not legally present in the United States.
Notably, the state’s fiscal estimate does not account for how many immigrants pay their medical bills and excludes those who have not disclosed their legal status to hospitals, making it difficult to determine actual costs.
According to the AHCA Dashboard, Miami-Dade County spent a total of $282 on health care for illegal immigrants in 2024, the highest of all counties in the state.
Neighboring Broward County spent $77 million on health care for illegal immigrants, and Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, spent $64 million; Orange County, covering Orlando, spent $38 million; and Duval County, where Jacksonville is, spent $34 million.
According to Newsweek, the Florida law requires the AHCA to submit a report to the governor, the president of the Florida Senate, and the speaker of the Florida House of Representatives by March 1, detailing the number of hospitalizations and emergency department visits through 2024.
In 2023, Governor DeSantis signed into effect SB 1718, which included regulations on business establishments and hospitals. This signed law mandates that employers with more than 25 employees use the federal E-Verify system to confirm the legal work status of new hires. On the other hand, Medicaid-accepting hospitals are also required to ask patients about their immigration status at the time of admission.
What could happen next?
Governor DeSantis and Republican lawmakers may introduce new legislation aimed at further limiting access to taxpayer-funded health care for immigrants without legal status.
Also Read: The impact of illegal immigration across developed countries, including the United States
