Immigrants said sapping U.S. health care

The Washington Times ^ | Feb. 26 2004 | UPI

[yonif]

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- The current surge in immigration is straining the U.S. health care system to the breaking point, a new report contends.

Immigration policy was identified as a key factor in a growing increase in the uninsured and the fiscal crises burdening public health care systems nationwide, according to a report from the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

[american spirit]

I'm in the Dallas area also, so I do see things exactly the way you do. Thinking the unthinkable.....what happens when the day comes and there's an economic emergency that shuts off the bennies for all these people that have no skills, can't speak English or are so fat they can't move? Is anyone in the fedgov planning for the day when we'll have millions of very, very unhappy people right in our midst and all that implies?

[henderson field]

Health care is not all that immigrants are burdening. There's highways, water supply, education (the fraudulent "no child left behind" program), police, prisons and social security (how do they avoid paying into SS and then cash in on it later?). That's just a partial list.

[henderson field]

But wait that's not all. Your insurance premiums reflect the cost of free health care for immigrants legal and illegal. Some places in the migrant-rich southwest they are $1200 a month.

[HiJinx]

I'm in the immigrant "boat" now...and I pay my own medical...

And you are to be commended for that. You are not alone. We see in our hospital, every day, responsible people paying their bills.

We also see people skipping out on their bills.

You can't tell who's going to be which type of person by their nationality, or their sex, or the way they dress, or any other of a number of physical discriminants. By and large, however, the person who is here illegally is going to skip out on their bill. Again, there is no way to tell who that is just by looking at them...but you can almost guarantee an illegal is going to stick it to the hospital.

And it isn't always the taxpayer picking up the tab in the form of state aid. My source tells me the typical dodge is to plead poverty, apply for state aid with a phony address, and then just walk away after being treated. In that case, the hospital eats the bill. Many large medical/hospital corporations are doing well enough off of paying patients that they can absorb the loss. Ours is a private not-for-profit hospital...and we're feeling the pinch.

We still have the only OB ward in a county the size of some small states (Conn, RI, or Del). If this keeps up, well...we may go back to 100 years ago when only 5 in 100 births took place in the 'hospital.'

[henderson field]

The former construction worker (an American) is also handicapped by having to pay taxes. The immigrants don't pay taxes. They don't have to.

[templar]

They got tuned up and sent back and you paid for it.

At least we got something for it: They got sent back.

[janetgreen]

You are describing the emergency care situation correctly. All hospital ERs in southern California are overloaded with non-paying customers. The only ones who don't have to worry if insurance will cover the visit are the illegal aliens. They aren't even asked if they have insurance, and they know they won't have to pay.

God help the American citizen who doesn't have insurance and has to be admitted to a hospital.

[Mike Darancette]

but that doesn't mean employees have to take it.

If the Govt. does not require the Guest workers to show financial responsibility it won't fly and since the employer will benefit from from the cheap labor they should be held to account. .

[Dante3]

BUMP

[janetgreen]

We need a new rule that if you are not here legally, you will not receive any services.

We need "son of Proposition 187".

[staytrue]

The report said one out of every four uninsured people in the United States is an immigrant

It seems to me that 3 out of every 4 uninsured people must be citizen according to the article. So if anyone is to be blamed for sapping US healthcare, 3/4 of the blame should go to citizens with 1/4 going to immigrants.

[FITZ]

Probably illegal.

I'm sure many of the uninsured are even legal immigrants --- they're lax on who is coming in ---- legal or otherwise, there seems to be no requirement that the immigrant be self-reliant and able to work --- look how many elderly immigrants are being brought in legally --- by family "sponsors" who never expect to pay a dime for them.

[DannyTN]

"3/4 of the blame should go to citizens with 1/4 going to immigrants."

Ok, but those 3/4 legally didn't have insurance. The 1/4 are illegally in this country. Therefore while the 3/4's are part of the problem it's the last illegal 1/4 that breaks the camels back.

[FITZ]

How many of that 3 out of 4 are the US born offspring of mothers who came here illegally just for the purpose of collecting welfare for them? I'd say that for every immigrant there are a few uninsured US born citizen babies.

[Kozak]

When "Guest Workers" are used the Employers will have to offer health care.

Is that a fact? So then the answer to the problem of the uninsured is to give them a bus ticket to Mexico, so that they can then apply to be guest workers and get that Employer provided health care.

[FITZ]

When "Guest Workers" are used the Employers will have to offer health care.

I've never heard that mentioned. Just as now family "sponsors" don't have to buy health insurance for their immigrant --- they find the family member earning the least money, that person is the official sponsor and their earnings are considered in the with immigrant's --- which can be 0 when determining eligibility for benefits.

It should be required that anyone bringing in an immigrant be held responsible for all the costs of their immigrant.

[Keen-Minded]

I wonder how many illegal immigrants also collect Social Security benefits illegally? I know they pay nothing into it.

Just wondering?

[citizen]

Amnesty Now!