HOSPITALS – Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding patient immigration status data collection.

This Idaho bill (H 592) requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to add a question on patient registration forms asking about immigration status (citizen, lawfully present, or not lawfully present), with a clear statement that responses won’t affect care or be shared with immigration authorities. Hospitals must submit quarterly reports to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare tracking admission numbers by status category, and the department must provide an annual report to the legislature detailing these numbers and costs of uncompensated care for non-lawfully present patients. The bill applies only to Medicaid-accepting hospitals and prohibits collecting personal identifying information. It aims to gather data on healthcare utilization patterns without altering patient care or reporting to immigration agencies.