Axios - Community health centers face a legal mess following the Trump administration's directive to restrict undocumented immigrants' access to their services. The federally funded clinics are supposed to serve everyone — but now, only if they fulfill a citizenship requirement....
There's "a high level of confusion," said Louise McCarthy, CEO of the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County. "We don't want to break any rules. We don't want to jeopardize our funding. We want to make sure that we can speak to our patients. ... But what can we tell them?"
The health centers serve more than 32 million people annually. But leaders told Axios they don't track patients' immigration status, let alone ask for proof of citizenship before providing care.
Nothing in last week's notice changes the underlying requirement in federal law that health centers must serve any resident in their designated service area, said Sara Rosenbaum, a professor emeritus of health law and policy at George Washington University.
Health center leaders say that for now they're seeking legal guidance, putting strapped clinic staff on the spot. They worry noncompliance could risk the loss of federal grants and benefits including discounted drugs and malpractice insurance — which could be a death knell for health centers. Read more
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