To Discharge or Not to Discharge, Ethics of Care for an Undocumented Immigrant
Published in: Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, v. 6, no. 1, 1995, p. 3-9
Posted on RAND.org on January 01, 1995
This article utilizes a case study to review the basic ethical considerations involved in balancing the needs of the undocumented patient, the provider and hospital, and the larger society. Recent debate over undocumented immigrants access to health care has centered on cost, but often ignores the ethical dilemma presented to providers, who are divided between their duty to the patients welfare and their role as gatekeeper in the distribution of society's health care resources.
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