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Maria Guadalupe Rodolfo Robles Of The State Of Colorado

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Introduction After an arduous journey Maria Guadalupe Rodolfo Robles came to the state of Colorado to live illegally with relatives. Maria speaks very little English and relies on the translation of family members. After living in the country for a couple of months she began to develop a pressure ulcer on the bottom of her heel. Maria Guadalupe spent the next 6 months in-and-out of Denver Health’s Emergency Department. Eventually, her pressure ulcer turned necrotic and she became very ill. Sometimes, Maria Guadalupe spent time as an inpatient fighting serious infections. Over and over her condition would stabilize and she would be discharged. Ultimately, Maria needed a wound care specialist. She was on track to lose either her foot or her leg below the knee. As for now she bounces in out of Emergency Rooms getting the only treatment she can. Situations like Maria’s have become fairly common here in the United States. In 2014, Pew research estimated that there are 11.3 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States (Krogstad & Passel). In 1986, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) made it possible for unauthorized citizens to qualify for Emergency Medicaid. Moreover, any hospital which is eligible to receive Medicaid reimbursements is required to treat ANY patient with emergency medical treatment (Sultan). Prior to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), hospitals could also receive reimbursements for patients who those who needed non-emergent

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