Undocumented refused medical help

[Obc333 24]

Undocumented Oakland Resident Denied Transplant over Immigration Status

Tue, Jan 31 2:20 PM

Jesus Navarro, an illegal immigrant who was in line for a transplant, has been denied the life-saving operation after healthcare officials found out about his citizenship status.

According to an article in area news source the Contra Costa Times, Navarro had a willing donor – his wife – already lined up, and was able to pay for the operation with private insurance that he currently holds, and has held for 14 years. 

Officials at the University of California-San Francisco Medical Center are unwilling to authorize the transplant procedure because Navarro's status could limit the adequate follow-up care needed for this operation, the source reported. Reece Fawley, the hospital's executive director, stated that UCSF looks at a number of socioeconomic factors when determining who will receive the hospital's services, with the financial clearance requiring stable insurance or financial means, while an individual's immigration status is also considered.

Navarro's health trouble began eight years ago, when his kidneys began to shut down and he began at-home dialysis treatments, according to the Times. With the average life expectancy of dialysis patients around six years, hope for Navarro continues to dim, as the full-time steel worker's illness has worsened.

A similar case occurred last December, when a New York man was denied a kidney transplant even after he found a perfect match from his brother, according to The New York Times. In an ironic twist of the United States' current immigration services in the realm of healthcare, while the government would continue to pay for lifetime dialysis for the illegal immigrant patient, which costs $75,000 annually, the government was unwilling to support the one-time cost of $100,000 for the transplant. 

Added January 31st, 2012 to Immigration by bettina

[HannahP 119]

The transplant is not a "one time cost." People who receive transplants need to be on very expensive immune suppressing drugs for the rest of their lives. Most people who receive transplants will develop some form of graft vs. host disease, which is a chronic and life-long illness that can be deadly, especially if it is not monitored and treated appropriately. Also, transplant failure can occur months or even years after the initial transplant.

Screening is extremely stringent even if you do have a match lined up. Perfectly legal citizens get denied transplants all the time - people who are mentally ill, those with a *history* of drug or alcohol abuse, people who do not have the proper kind of insurance or the job stability to retain the insurance or money necessary to pay for the life-long treatment that is required post-transplant. People who are chronically poor and may not have access to adequate transportation. Even potentially subjective factors like whether a patient has an adequate support system.

[Dakine10 5,452]

The transplant is not a "one time cost." People who receive transplants need to be on very expensive immune suppressing drugs for the rest of their lives. Most people who receive transplants will develop some form of graft vs. host disease, which is a chronic and life-long illness that can be deadly, especially if it is not monitored and treated appropriately. Also, transplant failure can occur months or even years after the initial transplant.

Screening is extremely stringent even if you do have a match lined up. Perfectly legal citizens get denied transplants all the time - people who are mentally ill, those with a *history* of drug or alcohol abuse, people who do not have the proper kind of insurance or the job stability to retain the insurance or money necessary to pay for the life-long treatment that is required post-transplant. People who are chronically poor and may not have access to adequate transportation. Even potentially subjective factors like whether a patient has an adequate support system.

I agree, and that's exactly what happened in this case. Statistically around 15% of candidates who are denied a transplant are due to issues surrounding the ability to comply with the follow up.

For US citizens medicare/medicaid will pay for the drug regimen if someone loses health insurance after a transplant. In Jesus Navarro's case, the primary determining factor was that he was losing his health insurance and did not qualify for medicaid. It was not directly because of his immigration status.