“Time for a reality check. Illegal immigrants are here. They are not eligible for Medicaid, but many still get sick and many get care, often in emergency rooms. The current proposals would likely not stop them from using their money to buy coverage through an insurance exchange, without subsidies. Just as they can do now. Should we take a harder line? Force people to prove citizenship in emergency rooms? That’s illegal, for good reason. Make verification requirements so onerous that not a single illegal immigrant slips through? Very expensive, and not smart. It would be highly likely to snag deserving citizens — like old people who don’t have their original birth certificates. And besides, we’ve tried that: A House oversight committee reviewed six state Medicaid programs in 2007 and found that verification rules had cost the federal government an additional $8.3 million. They caught exactly eight illegal immigrants.”
so policing american morality on providing health care to undocumented worker costs over $1 million per person - and that doesn’t count the costs of all those who would be eligible but are discouraged from applying for health benefits because of anti-immigrant sentiments. many legal permanent residents, for example, don’t seek benefits because of fear it will impact any future ability to adjust their immigration status. similarly, undocumented parents often don’t seek benefits for their citizen children for fear they’ll be targeted and referred to immigration for detention or deportation.
this bullshit morality doesn’t make sense and is harmful.
