WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) strongly opposes the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the Trump Administration’s “public charge” rule, which denies certain immigrants their legal status if they rely on public benefits.

“Efforts to deny access to federal safety-net programs, such as Medicaid, could deter people who are in our country lawfully from seeking medically-necessary treatment out of fear it could jeopardize their immigration status,” said William Jaquis, MD, FACEP, president of ACEP. “This in turn puts every American’s health at greater risk, particularly as we’re seeing how untreated and highly-contagious infectious diseases can spread rapidly and globally.”

Depriving people of essential federal benefits may also further strain our already crowded emergency departments and resources.

“Emergency physicians will continue to treat anyone who walks through our doors, but we are concerned that people who need care will delay or skip appointments until their local emergency department becomes the best, or perhaps the only, option,” said Dr. Jaquis.