Jun. 25, 2025
HARRISBURG – Rep. Brian Rasel (R-Westmoreland) today announced he is introducing legislation to address health care services provided to illegal immigrants.
“On the precipice of a lengthy budget battle, one of the heftier sticking points is the proper funding of health care programs like Medicaid, and make no mistake, we can and should take care of our most vulnerable populations, such as impoverished children, seniors and those with special needs,” Rasel said. “Going into budget discussions, how can a responsible legislator cast a vote to increase health care spending without really knowing how current funds are being used?”
The proposal,
House Bill 1661, would require all hospitals licensed in Pennsylvania to report the number of admissions and emergency room visits made by those here illegally to the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) each year. Using this data, DOH will develop an annual report on the costs of uncompensated care provided to illegal migrants and the impact this has on our Commonwealth’s hospitals.
“Hospitals across the Commonwealth are in a major financial crisis as more than 25 Pennsylvania hospitals were closed in the last five years. Every dollar spent on someone here illegally likely forces hospitals to cover unpaid bills and ultimately strains the Medicaid system,” said Rasel. “If taxpayer dollars are being used to subsidize the care of those who never paid into the system, and worse yet, broke the law to come here, we need to know about it and work to stop it.”
House Bill 1661 was referred to the House Health Committee.
Representative Brian Rasel
56th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jordan Frei
724.875.8450
jfrei@pahousegop.com
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