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WH on HC for Illegals

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mtlinscomb said:
Today, for the first time as far as we know, the administration is backing a provision that would require proof of citizenship before someone could enroll in a plan selected on the exchange.
Here, the administration also concedes that hospitals would be compensated with public funds for the care of undocumented immigrants.


The bullet points sent tonight by the White House:
  • Undocumented immigrants would not be able to buy private insurance on the exchange. Those who are lawfully present in this country would be able to participate.
  • Undocumented immigrants would be able to buy insurance in the non-exchange private market, just as they do today. That market will shrink as the exchange takes hold, but it will still exist and will be subject to reforms such as the bans on pre-existing conditions and caps.
  • Verification will be required when purchasing health insurance on the exchange. One option is the SAVE program (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) which states currently use to make sure that undocumented immigrants don't participate in safety-net programs for which they are ineligible.
  • There would be no change in the law that requires emergency rooms to treat people who need emergency care, including undocumented immigrants. There is already a federal grant program that compensates states for emergency room costs associated with treatment of undocumented immigrants, a provision sponsored by a Republican lawmaker.
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Though the "you lie" comment could have been made at a better venue, the accuracy of the comment seems to be a bulls eye. This weekend, Obama and Kathleen keep using the word intent when covering the topics of illegals and abortion, but intent is not a concrete word. My intent when buying a lottery ticket is to win, but that is yet to happen.
Click to expand...

I can see the why on the exterior Republicans want the SAVE program, a program already in existence to prevent ineligible residents from obtaining government assistance programs, it looks good to their constituency. But, how many illegals would try to get health subsidies either through Medicare or a public option without already getting other government assisted programs? To me a red flag would go up. HR 3200 allowed for the Secretary to determine a plan to weed out those looking for loopholes.

Besides, currently, half of the undocumented aliens have SS#'s and pay taxes in the billions of dollars; technically, they could apply for a health subsidy depending on if their income is 400% below the poverty line, and 133% for Medicare, yet no one is balking about that. We can take their money, that's ok, but heaven forbid we provide health care when needed. So, is the SAVE program going to verify this? No, it can't, it hasn't and never will.

The Right is balking that if amnesty is granted to undocumented aliens so they can pay into a public option, that the costs will be much higher to all of us taxpayers, but we have, thanks to Saint Ronnie, the Emergency and Medical treatment act requiring participating hospitals to treat in emergent situations regardless of ability to pay. The statistics show that most undocumented illegals are young and healthy, but that the birth rate here is high. Would you turn away a pregnant illegal, whose child BTW, will qualify for all kinds of federal assistance since the child is now a legal citizen? Would you turn away those with swine flu, tuberculosis and many other communicable diseases? We will pay, and do pay, one way or another.

Maybe it's time we all stop "lying" about what's really needed-- health care reform, immigration reform-- and lobby reform-- instead of all the partisan bickering and posturing.



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