Self-Pay Emergency Department Visits by Undocumented Patients After 2018 Public Charge Announcement.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

The September 2018 public charge announcement led many undocumented immigrants to avoid public programs over immigration concerns. Whether this extended to Emergency Medicaid and increased self-pay emergency department (ED) visits is unclear.

Objectives

To assess whether the likelihood of self-pay ED visits (visits not covered by any third-party payer because patients lacked or declined insurance coverage) increased among likely undocumented patients vs US-born patients after the public charge announcement.

Design, settings, and participants

This retrospective cohort study analyzed ED encounters from major safety-net hospitals in Los Angeles County from May 1, 2017, to December 31, 2019. Adult patient encounters were classified as likely undocumented or US

SUBMITTER: Haro-Ramos AY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12856681 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature