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Family sues FL hospital for deporting patient to Guatemala

July 8, 2009 — 1:39pm ET | By Anne Zieger
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In a case that is likely to get close national attention, a court in Florida is taking on the controversial practice of deporting illegal immigrants who can't pay their hospital bills. The family of Luis Jimenez, a brain-damaged illegal immigrant who was struck by a drunken driver in 2000, is suing Stuart, FL-based Martin Memorial Medical Center for flying him back to Guatemala rather than provide long-term rehab care itself.

Martin Memorial made the decision to repatriate Jimenez in 2003, when rehab clinics turned him down for care because he had no insurance. At the time, a Florida judge gave the hospital permission to return Jimenez to his home country.

But Jimenez' legal guardian, a cousin by marriage, has sued the hospital for falsely imprisoning Jimenez in the plan during his trip back to Guatemala. The cousin contends that the hospital didn't play fair, shipping Jimenez out before the family had a chance to file what would turn out to be a successful appeal to the original judge's decision.

To learn more about this issue:
- read this Modern Healthcare piece (reg. req.)

Related Article:
Trend: Hospitals deporting uninsured immigrants

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Comments

By Anonymous | Posted 7:44pm | July 8, 2009

Why should this poor dude be held responsible for his rehab care when it seems like the drunk driver that originally injured him and likely impaired his ability to obtain employment, and, therefore insurance, should be held responsible (or deported to Guatamala?)? Sounds like the legal process that approved this and supposedly gave short shrift to the family should be reviewed. Terrible end result, regardless of who is to blame. Poor guy!

By Anonymous | Posted 4:46pm | July 9, 2009

Please open you mind to the reality that most drunk drivers have had previous convictions for the same crime and had their license revoked so they can't get insurance, so there would be no settlement. Also remember, this hospital is incurring costs that this patient will never pay back, regardless of whether he received a settlement from the other party or not. Now take one guess as to who will be paying for this mans care..YOU THE TAXPAYOR!!! More deportations need to take place from hospitals because we are loaded down with these individuals!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Anonymous | Posted 10:37pm | July 8, 2009

You are forgetting a key term here. Illegal immigrant. If he was were he was supposed to be he wouldn't be here for a drunk driver to injure him now would he? If he belonged here he would get,and deserve all the available treatment.

By Anonymous | Posted 7:48am | July 9, 2009

The ONLY reason the Guatemalen was here was to WORK and send money home. The EMPLOYER should be held responsible- ALWAYS. No jobs for illegals, no PROBLEM.

By Anonymous | Posted 2:21pm | July 9, 2009

Hopefully not off-topic, but even under the most optimistic of the proposed new healthcare reform packages now under review (hopefully?) in Congress, how would a situation such as this be handled? An individual in the country illegally -would the physicians and hospitals treating him be reimbursed for the cost of his medical care? And for how long?
Anybody know?

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