Government
AMA hits making any immigrant care illegal
■ The new policy also opposes requiring doctors to report a patient's immigration status.
By Damon Adams — Posted Dec. 4, 2006
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Las Vegas -- The American Medical Association wants to make sure physicians don't have any fear of being arrested for providing medical care to undocumented immigrants.
The AMA House of Delegates at last month's Interim Meeting adopted policy that opposes any regulations or legislation that would criminalize or punish physicians and other practitioners for giving care to patients who are undocumented immigrants.
Delegates said they are not aware of laws prohibiting physicians from treating illegal immigrants but that California has considered it. Physicians from California sponsored the AMA resolution.
A physician's oath means never refusing or compromising care because of legal status or political beliefs, delegates said. Doctors should be concerned about treating patients, not trying to figure out who is legal, they said.
"I wasn't trained to be an [immigration] officer," said delegate James Hay, MD, a family physician from California.
The new policy also opposes any policies, regulations or legislation requiring doctors and other health care professionals to collect and report data about patients' immigration status.
Delegates said the measure affirms the physician's right and desire to provide care to patients in need.
"This is basic humanity," said delegate Andrew Gurman, MD, a hand surgeon in Altoona, Pa. "This is what makes me proud to be a doctor."
