(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]

I agree with both of your posts. But -

If the hospitals all have to close (they are, after all, businesses), where will we close-to-the-border-dwelling Americans get health care? The bail-out is a bandaid on a festering wound.

The real answer is to heal the festering wound by closing the damned border and allowing the hospitals to refuse illegals medical care.

[FITZ]

They need to get these people on ambulances and headed on back to Mexico or INS buses if they aren't too sick.

[FITZ]

ping

[bk1000]

I wanna be an illegal alien. You don't pay taxes, you get free health care, free education. What a deal! Now, tell me
again what the advantages of citizenship are?

[FITZ]

What is strange along the border --- there is a serious shortage of nurses and doctors so they are bringing them up from Mexico ---- they will be paid out of US taxpayer's pockets. Of course it's a real deal to the Mexican health care providers --- they will be paid big bucks ---- instead we should be outsourcing the care of illegals and visitors from Mexico --- transport them to Mexican hospitals where the doctors and nurses don't make so much money.

[lodwick]

Traitorous jackasses.

[riri]

free health care for foreigners

I am speechless. Not shocked though.

At what point do the American people stand up?

[Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh]

give hospitals at least $1 billion during the next four years to cover the spiraling costs of providing emergency services for undocumented immigrants.

Its about damn time. It is outrageous that the border states have to bear such a huge huge portion of a national issue.

[Geezerette]

Yes, that's true. Wouldn't Jon Kyl be doing more to help that situation by being stronger on BORDER and ILLEGAL ALIEN issues?? Is he that hungry for votes?

g

[FITZ]

And don't forget --- the number one health care emergency along the border is labor and delivery ----- birth of a new US citizen who qualifies for every welfare program.

[riri]

I am really disappointed in Kyl. I have always liked Kyl. I am going to email or call his office, not that it will do any good but it will make me feel better to voice my displeasure.

Off topic, it is winter again and Savage cuts off here in South Chandler at 5:30. I can only catch an hour of his show and they have stopped the Savage cafe so I can't catch it the next day day noon. Arrggh.

[FITZ]

Except undocumented residents. I see no reason to pay for them.

Mexico has the second highest oil reserves in the Western Hemisphere and it's nationalized ---- why can't we tell Mexico that they will be sending us money to pay for the costs of providing their citizens free health care, education, food stamps, prison care and all the rest. Let that oil money benefit someone besides the few elites who take all if it now.

[petercooper]

deport the bums

[upchuck]

Hey, I've got a unique idea... why don't we take the ONE BILLION dollars and use part of it to keep criminal aliens from invading our country and part of it to toss the existing criminal aliens out on their collective asses.

I am sooooo sad this entitlement is being passed. Our children and their children are gonna hate our guts.

[chuckwalla]

VOTES

[Geezerette]

Off-topic, sorta/kinda ...

I haven't been listening to Savage lately, 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.

They are planning something like a Boston Tea Party, but may call the movement "Arizona Sun Tea Party"!

g

[FITZ]

A few thousand dollars would buy enough ambulances to have available for taking the sick from Mexico straight back into Mexico to a Mexican hospital. Mexicans need jobs in Mexico --- what's wrong with outsourcing health care? It's a whole lot cheaper for them to have health care where the nurses are making $2 or less an hour --- versus the $20 an hour we have to pay nurses here to take care of them. If we can outsource our factories --- we should be able to outsource health care for those people who don't belong here in the first place.

[templar]

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.

[unixfox]

They already did when they put the Republicans in charge of everything.

Ahh yes, and they have been soooooo conservative.