Land of the free denies healthcare to illegal immigrants
Posted by Sophie Callahan at 6/9/2009 2:20 PM 
Categories: health care,Health Insurance
Tags: health insurance uninsured health clinics illegal immigrants
Categories: health care,Health Insurance
Tags: health insurance uninsured health clinics illegal immigrants
There are approximately 11.9 million illegal immigrants in the United States as of October 2008. There has been an ongoing debate over residency status of illegal immigrants for years, but a more recent debate is what benefits, if any, they deserve.
So far illegal immigrants are losing the debate according to some of the facts below:
These are just some of the ways the government and hospitals are denying illegal immigrants any healthcare benefits. According to a Pew Hispanic Center survey in 2007, more than half of adult illegal immigrants (approximately 59%) had no health insurance. Among their children, 45% were uninsured and 25% of those born in the U.S. were also uninsured.
In April, California counties were forced to slash their budgets and their first stop was eliminating non-emergency health services for illegal immigrants. Most illegal immigrants entering this country are young and healthy and don’t need emergency health services. Now the health services they do need are being denied to them.
David Hayes-Bautista, a professor of medicine at the University of California explains that, “Eliminating illegal immigrants from health services may enable counties to balance their budgets this year but won't solve the problem in the long term. We are mortgaging the future to scrape through the present.”
On the other hand, anti-illegal immigration activist Barbara Coe says “Illegal immigrants have absolutely no right, No. 1, to be here and, No. 2, to take the tax dollars of law-abiding American taxpayers for anything."
What happened to the U.S. being the “land of the free?”
Article provided by www.healthinsuranceanswers.org
So far illegal immigrants are losing the debate according to some of the facts below:
- One hospital in Texas is denying cancer care to immigrants
- In Oklahoma, lawmakers have restricted illegal immigrants from receiving most health benefits
- The Senate blocked even legal immigrant children from being added to the SCHIP.
These are just some of the ways the government and hospitals are denying illegal immigrants any healthcare benefits. According to a Pew Hispanic Center survey in 2007, more than half of adult illegal immigrants (approximately 59%) had no health insurance. Among their children, 45% were uninsured and 25% of those born in the U.S. were also uninsured.
In April, California counties were forced to slash their budgets and their first stop was eliminating non-emergency health services for illegal immigrants. Most illegal immigrants entering this country are young and healthy and don’t need emergency health services. Now the health services they do need are being denied to them.
David Hayes-Bautista, a professor of medicine at the University of California explains that, “Eliminating illegal immigrants from health services may enable counties to balance their budgets this year but won't solve the problem in the long term. We are mortgaging the future to scrape through the present.”
On the other hand, anti-illegal immigration activist Barbara Coe says “Illegal immigrants have absolutely no right, No. 1, to be here and, No. 2, to take the tax dollars of law-abiding American taxpayers for anything."
What happened to the U.S. being the “land of the free?”
Article provided by www.healthinsuranceanswers.org
That Barbara Coe is out of her mind. The United States has always been a country that people could come to for a better life. So much for a better life huh?
Reply to this
I don't begrudge these people coming over and trying for a better life. That said, come over ready to work. Don't lok for handouts.
Reply to this
Are you kidding me? Does everyone understand that one of the reasons why health insurance premiums are so high is because we have to cover all the uninsured? THESE illegal immigrants make up at least a quarter of all uninsured Americans. Hey Obama-enroll them or DEPORT THEM!
Reply to this
It's not fair that illegal immigrants expect REAL americans to pay for their healthcare costs, if you want the benefits of being an american then come here legally. The term illegal means that these people don't abide by our rules and the US should only be the land of the free for those who respect our rules. Like Lucy said: either enroll them or better yet: Deport them.
Reply to this
I agree with Mike. If these illegal immigrants come to this country looking for work and have the right, attitude there is no reason they should not be able to live a better life here. But they should not just expect to be helped.
Reply to this
I may sound naive, but I do believe that these immigrants come to our country for a better life and not to just sit around and be lazy. Many of them are trying to find work but seriously, in this economy U.S. Citizens with Masters degrees cant even get jobs!!!
Reply to this
Well, illegal immigrants do not make up the total population of uninsured Americans. Even though Lucy is right in that the uninsured number drives up our health insurance premiums, illegal immigrants do take all the jobs that no one really wants and pump money into our economy...
Reply to this
The age-old pesky U.S.-Mexico border problem has taxed the resources of both countries, led to long lists of injustices, and appears to be heading only for worse troubles in the future. Guess what? The border problem can never be solved. Why? Because the border IS the problem! It's time for a paradigm change.
Never fear, a satisfying, comprehensive solution is within reach: the Megamerge Dissolution Solution. Simply dissolve the border along with the failed Mexican government, and megamerge the two countries under U.S. law, with mass free 2-way migration eventually equalizing the development and opportunities permanently, with justice and without racism, and without threatening U.S. sovereignty or basic principles.
Click the url for details, or Google "Megamerge Dissolution Solution".
Reply to this