Report: 40 percent of county’s Medi-Cal births to illegal immigrants
NORTH COUNTY —— A state report quietly released last spring shows illegal immigrants made up the largest single group of those giving birth at taxpayer expense in the state and in San Diego County in 2004.
The May report, “Medi-Cal Funded Deliveries,” states that of the 14,350 taxpayer-funded births in the county that year, 5,814, or 40.5 percent, were to illegal immigrants. That is an 18 percent increase over the 4,916 Medi-Cal-funded deliveries to illegal immigrants in San Diego County in 2001, as shown in an earlier state report.
On Friday morning, Vista resident Silvia stopped to talk with a visitor as she headed into the Vista Community Clinic with her 1-year-old son in her arms and her 4-year-old son in tow. The 24-year-old woman said in Spanish that she is an illegal immigrant and has lived in the United States for 10 years. She spoke on the condition that her last name not be published.
Silvia, a native of Oaxaca, Mexico, said Medi-Cal paid labor and delivery costs for both of her children, and added that she is frustrated that now she has to pay for their medical care and that she expected Friday’s doctor visit to cost her $35.
“I think they should pay,” said the woman who earns $11 an hour at a local factory but receives no health benefits. “I buy things, I pay taxes.”
A few minutes later, a woman named Maria was leaving the clinic with her 6-year-old son and 5-month-old daughter. The 27-year-old native of San Luis, Mexico, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said she is a single mom who struggles to survive by cleaning houses. She said she has lived in the U.S. for 13 years and is an illegal immigrant. Medi-Cal paid the delivery costs for her children, Maria said, adding that she is grateful for the help.
“I think I should pay, but I can’t,” said Maria, as she waited at the bus stop.
Statewide in 2004, providers delivered 248,086 babies at taxpayers’ expense, according to the report. Of those, 105,665, or 42.6 percent, were to illegal immigrants. That’s a 13.5 percent increase over the 93,094 Medi-Cal-funded deliveries to illegal immigrants in the state in 2001, as shown in the earlier report.
At an average cost of $3,224 each for 74,835 vaginal deliveries and $5,153 each for 30,830 Cesarean deliveries in 2004, the total cost to taxpayers ran more than $400 million. Of that total, about $22 million was for births in San Diego County.
The amounts included doctors’ fees and, in many cases, pre- and postnatal care.
Despite the cost, a local doctor says the money is a necessary investment.
Bernard Wosk, a physician at the nonprofit Vista Community Clinic, immigrated to the U.S. from his native Nicaragua 20 years ago. He said he has prenatal patients who are illegal immigrants.
Wosk said he understands that laws are necessary to stop illegal immigration.
“But the point is they are already here and if you are talking about taxpayer money, it has been proven that the more you spend on prenatal care, the more you save in the mid- and long-term,” Wosk said. “Moneywise, it makes sense and humanitarianwise, you can’t turn your back on a newborn.”
San Diego County’s 5,814 births to illegal immigrants in 2004 placed it third in the rankings of the 58 counties in the state. Topping the list was Los Angeles County, with 41,240, followed by Orange County, with 10,979 births to illegal immigrant mothers.
More uplifting news from my former home town, Vista CA, otherwise sometimes known as Tijuana Norte.
/sarc
I’m in San Diego and many hospitals just shut down and close when they can’t afford to supplement free services to immigrants. State and federal programs don’t cover the costs and if they do pay any the paperwork takes an exorbitant amount of time.
Private industry being dictated to by governments.