Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has a knack for grabbing headlines with big promises. But as time goes on, it seems his plans are often accompanied by more hype than reality.
Take the much-talked-about “Don’t Say Gay” bill, for instance. Initially said to be a strict measure for classrooms, it eventually morphed into a more lenient stance that allowed teachers to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity.
Similarly, DeSantis’ “Stop Woke” campaign, which sought to ban diversity training, was stopped when a federal appeals court declared it unconstitutional.
And who could forget DeSantis’ attempt to turn the southern border crisis into a Florida issue? Despite his efforts, it fizzled out without much of an impact.
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DeSantis isn’t shy about discussing his position on social issues. In May, he said, “The Biden Border Crisis has wreaked havoc across the United States and has put Americans in danger.” His solution? Tough anti-illegal immigration laws for Florida.
“In Florida, we will not stand idly by while the federal government abandons its lawful duties to protect our country.” He said.
“The legislation I signed today gives Florida the most ambitious anti-illegal immigration laws in the country, fighting back against reckless federal government policies and ensuring the Florida taxpayers are not footing the bill for illegal immigration.”
Under this new legislation, Hospitals were required to collect data on patients’ immigration status and report it to the state. The goal was to create an online dashboard that would better illustrate the impact of undocumented residents on healthcare costs.
However, the execution fell short. Hospitals could not accurately record immigrant status, and that made the data they presented unreliable.
POLL—Should the U.S. Government Create a Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants?
When the first snapshot was released, it was talked about as a validation of DeSantis’ agenda, but a closer look told a different story. Contrary to expectations, the cost of care not compensated for undocumented immigrants made up less than 1% of hospital expenses.
Rather than proving a strain on the system, it highlighted the flaws in demonizing undocumented residents. The details of the report, kept from the public eye, revealed even more information. Rural areas that supported DeSantis bore the brunt of uncompensated care much more.
“There also did not appear to be a correlation between total profitability and illegal immigration percentages,” it read. “All the counties that had negative profit margins had below average illegal immigration ratios.”
Even moreso, there was no clear link between illegal immigration and hospital profitability. In fact, counties with profit margins that were below negative seemed to have below-average illegal immigration ratios.
“Governor DeSantis continues to put Floridians first with his commitment to fiscal responsibility and prioritization of the needs and care of citizens first,” AHCA Secretary Jason Weida said.
“This dashboard highlights the cost of illegal immigration which puts a strain on our health care system and taxpayers here in Florida.”
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