IMMIGRATION HEALTH REFORM POLICY DEBATED

The Democrats want to all legal permanent residents able to participate in the proposed health insurance exchanges and also to receive subsidized health coverage
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IMMIGRATION HEALTH REFORM POLICY

There is broad agreement in Congress to bar illegal immigrants from taxpayer financed health coverage. Insurance exchange that are proposed to increase competition, would exclude Illegal immigrants from buying coverage. Both parties are ready for a full debate on immigration amendments.

Illegal immigrants pay full taxes, are scrutinized intensely as to their immigration status, and rarely use public health services. Because they don't trust the government, they don't want to get any government benefits, since they don't want to do anything to damage their chances to become American citizens.

Medicare and Medicaid placed a five-year wait on legal permanent residence as part of the federal welfare overhaul in 1996. The Republicans want to exclude immigrants who have been legal firmament residence for the same five years. They are worried that by providing health care benefits now, a large number of new immigrants will flock to the United States.

The Democrats want to all legal permanent residents able to participate in the proposed health insurance exchanges and also to receive subsidized health coverage They agree with the Republicans that: illegal immigrants should be excluded. Under all the plans, immigrants, including illegal immigrants, who are excluded from new programs, would still have to buy insurance coverage.

There are more than 1 million legal permanent residents in the United States, and about 7 million illegal immigrants. None have health insurance, and all would be excluded from insurance coverage.

California has over 1.4 million legal and illegal immigrants. They are caring for 7 million residents with no insurance, including 4 million American citizens. The American Hospital Association, the Conference of Mayors, the Catholic health Association, and many others are pushing Congress to eliminate any waiting periods for legal residence so they could get Medicare and Medicaid. Their argument is that by excluding them, we will defeat the cost-saving purposes of universal coverage.

Despite the fact that all illegal immigrants are not eligible for coverage, it is important to ensure that they are counted. If they are not counted, the family income could appear higher than the cutoff level for government subsidies.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

Many are trying to require a second document from immigrants to verify their immigration or citizenship status. These verification procedures, that have been required since 2005 for Medicaid, have been very costly to states and detected very few unauthorized immigrants that were using public programs. It seems that illegal aliens know how to slip through the cracks easily.

COMMENTARY

If we don’t keep immigrants healthy now, and exclude them until they get sick, we will have to pay for it down the line. If we don't pay now, we're going to have to pay later.

Even if the health care legislation passed as is, a large number of legal immigrants will remain uninsured. This would be a burden on the new health-care reform package.

President Obama promised that the new number of immigrants ineligible for coverage could be greatly reduced, if next year, Congress granted legal status to illegal immigrants.

What do you think? Your comments are always appreciated.

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Source
Immigration Policy Institute, (a nonpartisan research group in Washington)