Posted on 01/24/2004 10:01:39 AM PST by Timesink
Posted on Sat, Jan. 24, 2004
Get off the Tarrant County hospital bosses. They did the right thing.
Yet even as they open county clinics again to all families -- citizen or immigrant -- they are doing it for the wrong reason.
Instead of triumph-antly announcing that the people of Tarrant County have won the seven-year legal struggle to keep all schoolchildren healthy and prevent hundreds of costly emergency-room visits, JPS Health Network officials are complaining about the cost and blaming the Legislature.
The rest of Texas seems to understand that it's safer to sell low-cost clinical care to working immigrants and their families, regardless of their legal status, than to deal with acute cases when they hit the emergency room.
Of Texas' 254 counties, the hospitals in at least 250 are already selling clinical care to undocumented immigrants. Everywhere else I called Friday, I heard Tarrant County and JPS described as "mistaken" or "political" or "fouled up."
Your company insurance probably encourages clinic visits. Shouldn't JPS?
This isn't a free ride. Working immigrant families are expected to pay a share of the doctor bills like everyone else. They pay rent or own homes, so they're already paying or helping to pay property taxes.
In Houston, undocumented immigrants pay their clinic bills more often than citizens do.
Yet JPS officials fretted about the possible extra cost Jan. 15 when trustees decided, based on advice from the district attorney's office, to reopen clinics to undocumented immigrants.
As far as I could find Friday, JPS stands alone in Texas as the only hospital district that claims it's being forced to serve undocumented immigrants, blaming a Houston lawmaker and a new state law.
The hospital district even spent our money for a half-page ad in the Wednesday newspaper to portray JPS as a helpless victim of those dunces down in Austin.
The JPS board "wishes to clarify" the decision to serve "undocumented residents," the ad read. It claimed that House Bill 2292 -- a comprehensive health care overhaul written by state Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth, R-Burleson -- "mandates" the care and requires local taxpayers to pick up any unpaid bills.
The specific language is in an amendment by state Rep. Rick Noriega, D-Houston, adopted on a House voice vote.
Noriega told a Star-Telegram reporter that the decision is still up to local hospital boards. The law makes undocumented immigrants legally eligible for clinical care -- technically, they weren't eligible before -- but does not require any hospital to offer or refuse it, he said.
Disagreeing, the Tarrant County district attorney's office advised the JPS board that anyone who's "eligible" must be served.
The hospital board down in the rich Houston suburbs of Montgomery County must see the law Noriega's way. Hospital trustees there, facing a May election in a politically arch-conservative county, refused this week to serve undocumented immigrants pending a six-month budget study.
The Conroe Courier described a meeting on the subject as an hour of "personal attacks and emotional debate." When a doctor warned about the risk of a disease outbreak, one hospital trustee mocked him as Chicken Little squawking: "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"
No doubt some of the Montgomery County immigration critics had read conservative Web sites such as WorldNetDaily or freerepublic.com, where the JPS decision was reported worldwide to a chorus of immigrant-bashing responses.
We read a few comments, too.
"The county politicians ... should be charged with TREASON," an online reader from WebTV.net wrote to Star-Telegram reporter Mitch Mitchell.
Other e-mails accused JPS of giving away "free" health care to "deadbeats." One woman writing from a Dallas ministerial school wrote that immigrants without federal documentation "have no rights!!! Hear that? NO rights! That means NO health care. ... Even if they work here!"
JPS spokeswoman Drenda Witt said most complaints have came from callers who mistakenly thought undocumented immigrants would be given free clinical care.
"Everybody said they 'heard it on the radio,' " Witt said. "Once they found out how it works and how we got to this point, I think there was a better understanding."
Trustee Dan Serna of Arlington is concerned about the cost. He said he faults the Legislature for passing a law without more clearly defining whether undocumented immigrants must be served.
"From what I'm told," he said, "we have only one avenue to pay any new costs from this, and that's to go to local taxpayers."
He described the backlash as "a lot of folks who don't want to see anybody get something for free."
But he added, "I also don't think many people oppose offering needed health care to people who are working, supporting businesses and functioning in the community."
The JPS newspaper ad ended, "All questions and inquiries should be directed to your state elected officials."
Where do we send thanks?
This simple sentance, admittedly taken out of context, is more than a statement about the financing immigrant health care. It defines the nature, direction, and future of health care in the United States.
Geee, I hardly noticed it! [sarc]
I am offended as well!
Let's start a class action lawsuit using only conservative, fee based lawyers at $50.00. We can be constitution-quoting, wild-eyed, hard-core, right-wing, gun-toting, opinion-spouting, mean-spirited, xenophobic, hate-mongering Joe-six-packs that are not educated enough to understand the bazillions of benefits of having illegals flood the health care system we payed for.
We can quote junk science and point to isolated instances that include no proven statistics and will retire rich.
I feeeel better!
TLI
Americans rent or own homes AND pay monthly insurance premiums. Renting or owning a home is not having private health insurance. Ship all the uninsured undocumented home. We can't afford their free health care.
Hi, I just read your column. I am 56 years old. Worked and paid into Social Security for 35 years, much of it after a car wreck, concussion, double fractured pelvis, knee dislocation, neck & back injury. 2 more back injuries since, and an autoimmune disease. There is NO health care for me. I have had no income for 4 years and because I have not worked in the last five, had to sell my home, etc. I no longer am eligible for SS disability or medicare. (check out eligibility at ssa.gov) When I have NOTHING left, I can get health care. You stated that illegals pay more clinic bills than white citizens. You may be right...I'd like to see your statistics, however. But yes, there are plenty of American citizens who have never worked or paid their own way, most of them on SSI and medicaid. Better look at the American citizens who are getting screwed, not just illegals. Example: You work 35 years....paid FICA....your parents are ill and you stop working to care for them for the next 5 years, while depleting your assets. At 50 you get hit by a truck and apply for SSdisability. It takes the SSA from 18 mos.to 5 years to approve your claim...SORRY, you are NOT eligibile any longer, because of not enough “recent work credits”.
Read some of the statements on this at Petition to reform Social Security Disability http://www.PetitionOnLine.com/SSDC/petition.html , if you don't believe me...it could be YOU!
And as for all those "jobs" that Americans won't take...I'd take ANYTHING...but employers will hire a strong illegal before they'll hire a disabled American...and PLEASE don't tell me about the American's with Disabilities ACT. Just another boondoggle. Sincerely,
Oh please....
She is running for US Congress this year.
Horsefeathers.
I am not allowed to write a contract for an illigal (Criminal) if I do I could get mylicense taken away.
Bud you are not even telling the truth.
Come on man, write the whole truth. Immigrants already had health care. The ST article was about criminals (Illegals).
But, what can I except from the star-telegram.
FORT WORTH - Undocumented immigrants will get unprecedented access to the county's charitable health care system, which could cost Tarrant County taxpayers millions of dollars, JPS Health Network trustees decided Thursday.
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