"Controversial Florida Immigration Law Sparks Protests and Legal Challenges"
Florida hospitals that accept Medicaid will now be required to ask patients about their immigration status as part of a new bill aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration. Patients will have the option to decline answering the question, and hospitals are required to assure patients that their response will not affect their care or result in a report to immigration authorities. The information will be used to compile quarterly reports on the number of admissions and emergency department visits by U.S. citizens, undocumented patients, and those who declined to answer. The law does not apply to other healthcare providers such as doctors' offices, urgent care centers, and community health centers.
