(Medicare) Bill includes $1 billion for immigrant care

El Paso Times ^ | November 22, 2003 | Sergio Bustos

[FITZ]

WASHINGTON -- Landmark Medicare legislation moving through Congress would give hospitals at least $1 billion during the next four years to cover the spiraling costs of providing emergency services for undocumented immigrants.

The provision would be particularly crucial for hospitals near the U.S.-Mexico border, including hospitals in El Paso.

The House was expected to vote on the Medicare measure today. A Senate vote may not come until Monday.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed," said Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.

Kyl is the author of the original legislation to reimburse hospitals, and he persuaded lawmakers to include the money in the $395 billion Medicare bill. He was among a small group of lawmakers who negotiated the controversial bill, which would create a prescription drug benefit for the first time since Medicare was enacted in 1965.

Kyl spent the week fighting off attempts by other lawmakers to remove the $1 billion from the bill.

That battle is far from over. Some House members, led by Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., a vocal critic of immigration policy, have threatened to vote against the bill solely because of Kyl's provision. He called it a "billion-dollar boon for illegal aliens," charging that the provision would encourage more illegal immigration.

A borderwide study released last year found that undocumented immigrants racked up $190 million in unpaid bills at 77 border hospitals in 2000.

[FrogMom]

Yes he would but I suspect he's overshadowed by McCrazy.

Though not curing the disease, he IS treating the symptoms, which is more than anyone else is doing.

[FITZ]

The problem is the elites are getting extremely rich from all that oil even though it's nationalized --- it only benefits a very few --- and they have no intention of giving up a single peso to provide for their fellow citizens. They're very content with allowing US taxpayers to pay it all.

[billbears]

After this bill, it's quite clear there is no more than a handful of conservatives in Washington, just a barrel full of politicians out trolling for votes

[HiJinx]

As much as it galls me to see this...we need it.

If the hospitals in Cochise County don't get some relief soon, they'll have to close their doors. If that had happened two weeks ago, JackelopeBreeder would be dead today.

There is simply no way we can afford the current financial drain on our hospital created by the Feds telling us we have to treat the indigent regardless of ability to pay or severity (or lack thereof) of medical need. If some relief is not forthcoming, our hospital may end up writing off more bad debt than they can afford. It's already in the millions of dollars.

The Sierra Vista Regional Health Center's catchment area covers in excess of 50,000 people, many of whom are older and in need of good emergency services. The next closest hospital with emergency services is 70 miles away by air. Back to JB...he was in the middle of a major heart attack two weeks ago, and went straight to our ER, where he was stabilized. Without that intermediate stop and stabilization, he might not have made it to Tucson alive.

[Graybeard58]

You have a point - $1b would employ 20,000 border patrol agents at $50,000 per year.

[lonevoice]

We have numerous US Citizens who are not able to afford needed medical care

I'm one of them. As a self-employed person I can't afford health insurance and my income is sufficient to disqualify me for any assistance. I can't afford my own healthcare, but my tax dollars get to pay for illegal aliens to have free healthcare. I don't believe for one minute that anyone else's tax dollars should pay for my medical needs, nor should I be paying for someone else's, let alone illegal parasites!

[Walkin Man]

At what point do the American people stand up?

They already did when they put the Republicans in charge of everything. Or, at least, that's what they thought they were doing.

Yeah suckered again by the RepubliRats party!

[douglas1]

HAS ANYONE LISTENED TO THE lefties that swear that illegals pay taxes ,any immigrant that puts one child let alone a half a dozen in our public schools , is one the dole it cost thousands to educate one child ,just do the math.

[texastoo]

I agree that some of the smaller hospitals need this. This should never be attached to Medicare. Only the cowards in congress would do this to the American people.

Social security recipients have to pay extra for medicare. Their rates just increased 19%. The illegals again pay nothing.

Let us not forget how Senator Frist, the majority leader of the senate, will benefit from this. His family owns most of HCA, Hospital Corporation of America. HCA owns 190 hospitals in the U.S. and 80 surgery centers. They own hospitals in 23 states plus England and Switzerland.

They own one of the hospitals in McAllen, Texas. The others are owned by UHS, another large corpporation. Check out the New York stock exchange. Both of these stocks will rise this week due to this illegal immigration bonanza being attached to Medicare. It is a guarantee for the large corporations.

[Dr Warmoose]

As much as it galls me to see this...we need it.

Actually, you are owed it. The Fe'ral Government has by fiat violated the 9th and 10th Amendments in the Bill of Rights and have extended 14th Amendment rights to illegal aliens. By forcing the local hospitals, at gun-point, to take care of all of Mexico's health problems they have imposed an "international tax" on Cochise County. I fail to see what Treaty was signed that makes Cochise county subservient to Mexico's growing medical needs, but somehow the Seditionists have managed to do just that.

It is about time that the Southern States get some relief on the unfair taxes imposed by their bretheren above the Mason Dixon line.

[Dr Warmoose]

At what point do the American people stand up?

I prefer the kneeling or prone position - it is easier to keep the cross-hairs on them at further range.

[Dr Warmoose]

What a deal! Now, tell me again what the advantages of citizenship are?

You get a passport that makes you a target around the world. You also get the IRS, DEA, FBI, ATF and God only knows who else to spy on your phone-calls, library books, purchases and bank transactions looking for "irregularities". You also get remeinded each day of what kind of loathsome insensitive bigot/homophobe/racist/warmonger/polluter/glutton/pervert/imperialist/greedy capitalist/slave owning/fundamentalist you are as a part of that citizenship.

[OpusatFR]

Why don't we send the bill to Vicente Fox?

[Merdoug]

Hey, they are the future majority in this country; government needs to treat them right. ( bitter sarcasm off)

[Joe Hadenuf]

We are no longer represented by our so-called leaders......

[healey22]

Digusting. Kyl is a traitor. Many seniors go without food so they can have medicine and Kyl wants to make sure illegal aliens get healthcare. Anybody who votes for this should have the boot up his ass. Call your Congressmen and tell him you are watching how he votes on this.

[4.1O dana super trac pak]

A middle finger in the face of all Americans, again.

Aaaaaarrrrggggghhhh...........

[riri]

because Liddy & Hill on KFYI are on a roll to initiate a tax-revolt if Janet NapoliReno (aided and abetted by the AZ Repugnant) tries to push thru her "46 Ways to Increase Your Taxes"! Liddy/Hill want to head her off at the pass before this thing gets started

I did catch the tail end one afternoon. I will have to start listening to hear more about it.

I really can't stomach Liddy. I find him very irritating. He hogs all the air time and he thinks he is so witty and clever--it's nauseating. And then he called Bruce Jacobs a brown shirt a few months back that really turned me off on him.

[JustPiper]

He called it a "billion-dollar boon for illegal aliens," charging that the provision would encourage more illegal immigration

You have got to SH-ing me!