Department of Medicine

Doctors push state to cover dialysis for undocumented immigrants

Written by Atlanta Journal Constitution | August 03, 2022

Lilia Cervantes cared for a patient who she then befriended until the woman died in 2014 after being unable to obtain regularly scheduled dialysis. The internal medicine hospitalist set about seeking a change in her state of Colorado. It took a few years, but the state moved in 2019 to include scheduled dialysis for undocumented immigrants under Emergency Medicaid. Now, Cervantes [associate professor of medicine at CU School of Medicine] informally advises medical colleagues in five states seeking to do the same, including Georgia.