Immigrant detainees across at least 33 states allege in court documents that the government is failing to provide them with adequate medical care. An investigation by The Associated Press and KFF Health News found that detainees are being denied access to doctors and medications for maladies ranging from dental pain to pregnancy to prostate cancer. Detainees say their requests for help have gone unanswered as blood sugars rise, infections fester and cancers remain untreated. Their allegations span the sprawling detention system, including county jails, large private facilities and quickly staged sites such as “Alligator Alcatraz” in Florida.
Some cancer patients are hitting coverage limits on a cheap anti-nausea pill that can ward off waves of vomiting after treatment. Doctors say restrictions on the number of tablets can hurt care. Pharmacy benefit managers say their restrictions guard against overuse. In between sits patients. They may have to ration pills or opt for less-effective help. The conflict offers a glimpse at how relatively simple acts of care can grow complex in the fragmented U.S. health care system.