A Guatemalan who suffered a vehicle accident last December in Phoenix, Arizona, is at risk of being repatriated to his country due to lack of medical insurance to cover hospital expenses.
Celso Isael Parra, aged 21, remains hospitalized at Flagstaff Medical Center in that city.
Rutila Pérez, aunt of the immigrant, expressed in an interview with Al Rojo Vivo, from Telemundo, his fear of being taken out of the US due to his health condition.
“From the hospital they are telling me that they are going to send him back”, declared the woman between tears.
The relative said that she was notified by hospital personnel that, in the next few days, the patient could be transferred to the Central American country to continue his treatment there.
“The social worker has told her that they are going to get him out of the hospital, that they cannot do anything”, added the woman.
The television report does not elaborate on the health condition of Hispanics and the specific treatment they require. However, the report highlights the problem of the lack of medical coverage for undocumented immigrants in the country and the risk that they will be returned to their countries of origin in the event of specialized and expensive treatment in hospitals.
In most states in the United States, immigrants who are not living in the country legally are not eligible to enroll in Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or to purchase coverage medical insurance in the Health Insurance Market. This places them in a position not only of disadvantage, but also of risk in the event of being diagnosed with a serious illness or accident.
Juan Fernando Valey, consul general of Guatemala in Denver, Colorado, assured that they are taking the corresponding actions to avoid repatriation.
“We are offering all the corresponding and possible support to Celso and his family. My team is trying to locate the social worker at the Flagstaff hospital. If we don’t get a response that satisfies us, if there is a need to move to Flagstaff, we will do so,” Valey told Telemundo.