Pay for All Your Undocumented Procedures (PAY UP!) Act of 2005

The Pay for All Your Undocumented Procedures (PAY UP!) Act of 2005 was a legislative proposal designed to shift the financial burden of emergency medical care for certain non-citizens from local hospitals to the federal government. Under this bill, the Department of Homeland Security would have been required to reimburse ambulance and medical providers for the costs of treating individuals who were brought in or assisted by federal immigration officials.

For everyday citizens, the practical impact of this bill would have been to provide financial relief to local healthcare systems and emergency services, particularly in border regions where uncompensated care can strain hospital budgets. By ensuring the federal government paid for medical services initiated by federal officers, the bill aimed to prevent local taxpayers and healthcare facilities from absorbing those specific costs. Although introduced in 2005, the bill did not advance past the committee stage and never became law.