7 Listens: Who pays for UMC care for non-El Paso patients?

dollars for services … but children’s says that number is much lower. and who foots the bill for trauma care at u-m-c when the patient cannot pay? our stephanie valle answers a viewer question tonight in this abc-seven listens: frances reached out to me on facebook — asking, “i want to know who pay for the medical bills when someone is brought here from las cruces to umc for medical care . “does dona ana county have an agreement with el paso county or do the citizens of el paso pay?” “we are the county hospital s we are compensated by tax dollars. as far as agreements, no, unfortunately we do not have any agreements with state or federal agencies that can compensate us for unfunded care.” 7.24 th nursing director for u-m-c’s er told me — the hospital uses taxpayer dollars to cover those costs. which is, and always has been, u-m-c’s mission: to care for those regardless of their ability to pay. “as a county hospital and a level 1 trauma center, we provide care for anyone who shows up at our doorstep.” 6.53 the umc spokesman told me — some states have funds available to hospitals like u-m-c for emergency care. but — “they’re not that large t handle all the costs that are associated with these trauma victims.” 5.3 umc cared for more than 64-hundred trauma patients from october 2013 to september 2014. about 12-hundred — less than 20-percent –were out of county & international patients. and of those — 336 — about 28-percent — were unfunded. “we’re here to provide service. we are here to help whether compensated or uncompensated, regardless of ability to pay, we provide services to everyone.” 7.55 hospital officials want taxpayers to remember — that umc is the only level one trauma center within a 270 mile radius — and is the first choice for critical cases coming from west texas and southern new mexico. sv, abc- 7. nmsu hall of famer and former pro- footballer danny villanueva has