Florida Initiative Enables Undocumented Immigrants To Receive Health Care With Alternate Identification at Certain Clinics
An agreement between several Florida health clinics and the Alliance of Active Women is allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain subsidized health care services with alternate identification, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports.
Some health clinics require identification in order for a patient to receive services, but some undocumented immigrants do not have proper identification. Under the agreement, several clinics have agreed to accept a membership card provided by the alliance as a valid form of identification. The card includes the name, address and physical description of the person -- height, weight, eye color -- in addition to an expiration date. Individuals must provide the alliance with an original form of identification, such as a birth certificate, a passport or identification from another state if they just moved to Florida, and proof of Florida residency, such as a utility bill. The alliance does not ask the immigration status of individuals. The card costs $15.
Cardholders then could seek care at partner clinics, where they must submit other documentation, including a pay stub, to receive subsidized services. Clinics' fees are based on a sliding scale; individuals usually can expect to receive no-cost care or to pay up to 60% of the normal fee, Cheri Boyd, manager of Pierson Medical Center, a participating clinic, said.
The Farmworker Association of Florida has a similar partnership with about 55 local health providers. Antonio Nava, president of the Hispanos Unidos de American, said the initiatives are the "humane way" to address the medical needs of undocumented immigrants (Ramirez, Daytona Beach News-Journal, 6/20).