Alina Marone, 52, of Abington Township, said she was asked, “Were you born in the United States?” while registering for radiology treatment at Abington Hospital on June 10, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported today.

Abington Hospital provided a statement to Marone that said, “This question is not asked routinely but may be asked as part of a specific clinical risk assessment.”

On April 29, Pamela Albright, a 72-year-old retired nurse of Melrose Park, was reportedly asked a similar question at Temple University Hospital, The Inquirer said, noting that she canceled her appointment and sought care elsewhere.

A Temple spokesperson later apologized and said the question had been asked in error.

According to the story, at least five other people in the region posted on social media that they too had been asked about their citizenship while seeking attention at area hospitals. New-York-based Physicians for Human Rights reportedly told doctors this year that they should not ask patients about immigration status unless required to do so.

The article continues:

The Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition and the National Immigration Law Center say queries around status are improper, and could cause those here without permission to avoid seeking needed medical care. Immigration advocates in Philadelphia say some migrants are skipping doctors’ visits, staying out of work, and avoiding public events amid heightened enforcement.

It later notes that “all hospitals nationwide are mandated to ask about citizenship and status for patients covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care Act marketplaces, for purposes of verifying insurance. Undocumented migrants are generally ineligible for those federal programs.”

For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.