Posted on 12/13/2008 12:55:17 PM PST by engrpat
Healthcare for illegal immigrants cost the Texas government and local hospital districts $678 million in a year, according to a new study that state lawmakers hope will show the federal government how much Texas is spending in uncompensated care for illegal immigrants.
The study, by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, estimates that $597 million of the total was spent by 94 public hospitals during fiscal 2005-06.
The remainder, about $81 million, went to the state’s contribution to emergency Medicaid, which pays for emergency medical care for things such as childbirth, and to the Texas Family Violence Program, which funds shelters, 24-hour hot lines, counseling and other related services. That figure is from fiscal 2006-07.
The figures are intended to lend support to future state requests for more federal funding to offset the costs.
All figures were estimates because of the limited information available. However, a bill proposed for the upcoming state legislative session would require agencies to report the cost of services provided to illegal immigrants.
Legislative reaction
The report, generated by the House’s 2007 appropriations bill, was criticized by a Fort Worth legislator as "immigrant bashing."
Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, said looking just at the cost of illegal immigrants doesn’t take into account the money they pump into the state.
(Excerpt) Read more at star-telegram.com ...
Oh, the real rape is going to occur once OBAMACARE get enacted. Then we get to pay for everyone...legal citizens and illegal aliens.
WooHoo free heathcare for all illegal aliens in this country and in Mexico.
and the news said that there are more illegals going back to Mexico beause they cannot get jobs, about time, if you ask me.
My wife's a school teacher in Plano. One illegal aliens kid costs the tax payer I believe $5608 per year. But do you think the state is even trying to capture the costs? Of course not. That's politically incorrect. No one really wants to look to hard, and the media of course vicimizes these people.
Mexico has many good people, and there are many slobs in the US. But it's not the doctors, engineers, and successful business people that hop the fence. One in ten that are here illegally are felons in their home country and there is a reason why our prisons are stuffed chalk full with them. There is a reason why we test for things like TB when people immigrate to this nation, and there is also a reason why over 50% of the TB cases in the US can be traced back to illegals.
What is happening is insane.
Yes, well, what Texas is paying is peanuts compared to the real bill for illegals, which is way over $150 BILLION per year (latest estimates) that the Washington government continues to steal from REAL American taxpayers to pay for all aspects of illegals they consider “legal” by their malfeasance and ommissions (zero accountability).
When Obamunism goes into full gear, you ain’t seen nuttin’ yet baby!!! The cost, which again will be stolen (not approved by the voters) from the American taxpayer to pay for his deadbeat voters, the “something for nothing crowd”....will be astronomical. When questioned about HOW HE INTENDS TO PAY for his massive, runaway Marxism and welfare state, he NEVER answers the question.
Just wait. EVERYTHING this Marxist has planned for America will hurt it. He is setting up for failure since socialism never works because it cannot pay for ITSELF. It produces nothing but empowerment for the government that is the tax-robbing nanny.
Also I think the CHIP program pays for pre-natal care for illegal alien pregnant women.
I work at a Texas hospital and am always struck by the sense of entitlement the illegals have when they show up at the emergency room. Believe me, they know all about their “right” to free medical care. They are bankrupting our medical system.
Im not in Texas, but these statistics do not include lost income. When I see illegal immigrants there is no chance I will be reimbursed for my services, and I cannot refuse to see them. Same for all the other independent billing agents. This would probably double the reported figure.
Sorry about that. Did a search and it didn’t show that I saw.
This can’t continue without a few people with guns, position, and tactical advantage getting angry and doing something about it.
My guess is that if you go far enough back,
probably 70% or more of this states population
stems from illegal immigration somehow or another.
It didn’t start yesterday.
The reason they are here is because
someone is paying them to do work. Mexico has
national healthcare so it’s not that
reason they are her. Quit paying
these people and they’ll leave.
The cheap sons of guns who’d rather
pay less for day help and the factories
who know they can pay them minimum or less
are hand in hand with the illegals.
Right Michael Chertoff.
I have a several relatives that work in health care here. One's a RN, the other an MD. They too say the same thing. What's interesting though is that the media normally has a spin to it. The illegals are the victims, the hospitals are often largely made out as the culprit, and the answer is near always more government money or some dream of a national health care scheme (aka socialized medicine).
Even the Dallas Morning News failed to mention that over a dozen illegal girls gave birth (tax money paid for) while this man died.
I volunteered for a very short time at a local charity in Arlington, Tx, well known in the area. I quit because of the sense of entitlement most of the 'clients' had, especially the illegals. They scammed the system and the management was aware and didn't care. The last straw for me was when they started demanding a new computer, with stand and printer then went on to ask for a large screen HD tv. This didn't happen once but a couple times a day. I just couldn't do it, had to leave.
Our county hospital in Dallas (Parkland) is broke and overrun with illegals. Now the city wants to build ANOTHER billion dollar hospital next to it, to take care of who? Illegals of course. Don’t worry Dallas, your citizens are eager to give another billion for illegals!
"Compassionate" conservatism at work? This is just a small part of what will be GW Bush's true legacy: Turning this nation into a third world country.
We have also entitled them to near all benefits even though they are here illegally. Their kids can go to school (They won't turn them in), they can get free health care, cops can't ask their status when pulled over, it's easy to rent a place to stay and even those places trying to crack down on this are punished for doing so!
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/01/23/texas.law/
Part of the problem is that our state and federal governments have made being illegally and staying here easy. Even though some of the 911 terrorists were here illegally, we fail to really crack down on this because of the political pandering to the Hispanic voter.
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