American Journal of Bioethics.
Hospitals in the United States have been engaging in the practice of returning immigrant patients, usually undocumented immigrant patients, to their country of origin when the patient has long-term medical needs for which no reimbursement is available. I argue that for such an action to be ethical, it must be done in accordance with the mission and values of hospitals. I describe three standards that an individual instance of repatriation must meet to be ethical: (1) patient best interests, (2) medical due diligence, and (3) informed consent. I argue that these should form the basis for best practices in regard to medical repatriation for all hospitals in the United States.
Open Peer Commentaries.
- Patient Autonomy and the Unfortunate Choice between Repatriation and Suboptimal Treatment
- Medical Repatriation: The Need for a Bigger Picture
- Medical Repatriation Does Not Justify Hospital Entanglement in Nonmedical Matters
- Migration and Health: Discovering New Territory for Bioethics
- Criteria for Medical Repatriation and the Context of Inadequate Access to Care
