Health Care Bill To Cover Undocumented Immigrants? False.

Over at Media Matters, Eric Boehlert calls out the media for covering Rep. Joe Wilson's interjectory fireworks during President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night without delving into whether Wilson was correct in his assertion -- that Obama was lying when he said that illegal immigrants would not qualify for credits for the proposed health care exchanges:

What's been completely glossed over by the press is the fact that the "You Lie!" was itself built upon a lie. That the rude outburst was yet more GOP misinformation. Instead, too many in the press treat the exchange as a he said/he said. i.e. Obama claimed illegal immigrants won't be covered, and Wilson called him a liar. What are the facts? Which man was telling the truth? The press won't say.

In an update, Boehlert credits Michael Scherer at Time Magazine for digging into Wilson's claim. But he should also dole out a kudo to MSNBC's Dylan Ratigan, who invited Politifact's Bill Adair on the show to provide fact-checking of the speech. Ratigan got right to it, leading off the segment by asking Adair to rate the accuracy of Wilson's outburst, citing it as "the obvious [item] to fact check." Adair, noting that it was the first time he'd ever "fact-checked a heckler," said that he rated Wilson's assertion "false."

ADAIR: Obama is right. When you look at the bill, it does go to some lengths to make sure that illegal immigrants do not get the credits for the health care exchange that would allow them to get free care. They'd have to pay for it, like everybody else. False for Wilson.

Politifact goes into greater detail in its assessment here.

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Comments

[TheKurgan9]

What Joe Wilson did was disrespectful to the office of the president...no doubt and it was wrong like John McCain said and I believe that he should be punished somehow so this never happens again.

However, ask yourself this...can illegal immigrants get free health care now at any emergency room in the country? Answer is yes because according to FEDERAL LAW you cannot turn away anyone from an ER.

So the only way OBAMA'S health care policy would not include granting illegal immigrants health care at the expense of US tax payers is that a new FEDERAL LAW is to be passed along side with the Obama Care bill that states that hospitals can turn away non-citizens if they do not have insurance or cash money. If not...then Joe Wilson is correct.

[BigPictureReg]

Ahh, NO!

You, the Wilson apologists, and the wind bag from South Carolina, either do not know or do not understand that the language that Republicans insist upon making a part of the health plan bill, to make Wilson appear truthful, is typically not included in bills such as this.

Why?

The 10th Amendment of the Constitution places emphasis on states rights.
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Hmm...sove­­reignty..­.­..where have we heard this before?

Arresting the creep of the federal bureaucracy into state and local matters is the intent of sections of this article. Implementation, by the 50 state commissioners, in the ways that they ALREADY enforce determination of eligibility in other federally funded programs, is in the hands of the appropriate state agencies. These state agencies have discrete ways of performing these functions, depending on the administrative procedures they have chosen.

Every 'keep your federal government off the backs of the people' should know that. Wilson either knows, but, is pretending not to, or, worse, he's forgotten what he should have learned in state legislature.

Many of his supporters are clueless, and loud, plain and simple.

[Mike Hihn]

You seem to be confusing Medicare which is federal administered, with Medicaid which is state adminsitered.

You may wish to employ a time machine and go back 50 year or so, to when the Tenth Amendment was actually recognized. I'm not saying this is good, or ever proper, but a Tenth Amendment defence has no value at all these days.

[CanAmFam]

You made an important point here:

- Right now, ANYONE requiring emergency treatment at an ER may receive it, whether they are here legally (which includes MORE than just US citizens, ie, Permanent residents, visa holders, tourists) or illegally.

Under the CURRENT system, ANYONE who can pay the insurance premium can get coverage from the American private insurance companies. This INCLUDES US citizens, permanent residents, visa holders AND ILLEGAL ALIENS. They do not discriminate against non-citizens or even anyone in the country illegally. (Imagine for a minute if, as an American, you were living, working in or visiting another country and were denied ER treatment because you weren't a citizen of that country.... yes, ridiculous).

........So if the GOP is so concerned about illegals getting care - they'd better crack down on their insurance cronies for providing coverage under the current system! The irony that they complain about it not being strict enough in Obama's plan is beyond ironic.

[xlntcat]

Joe Wilson voted to reimburse hospitals for treatment of illegal immigrants in 2003. The president was referring to participation in government supplemented exchanges and public option and as drunk as Wilson was, he knew that this was prohibited in the house bill. The cowardly, alcoholic Mr Wilson has been correct about very few things in his life time.

[MighteeAphrodite]

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."

Inscription on the Statue of Liberty.


Even if the protestors were dropped off by the mother ship at the crop circles, their descendants were immigrants once too.

Please find a way to offer health care to all who are citizens and to those who will become so.

[TheKurgan9]

An entirely different country today than it was then. Back then there was 40 million in the US. Now 300 million. So there now has to be measured in place to make sure that too many people don't come in so that it doesn't place a strain on the existing citizens.

How about this : If you can't offer the country something (like your expertise in something desirable) that we need , you can't come in.

[Mike Hihn]

I've only recently read the President's entire speech.

Does anyone actually know if Wilson was responding to the President having accused the Republicans of telling lies? I don't recall a President ever calling opponents liars before, but it's right there in the transcript.

I can't see that either party has a clue here. Two signature proposals -- mandated coverage and community rating -- have already failed. That's why HMOs no longer provide price competition to third-party insurance. Democrats sabotaged the market and then blamed the market for the consequences.

I laugh every time I hear that insurance companies deny pre-existing conditions to pad their profits. If they insured pre-exisiting conditions, we'd all be stupid to buy health insurance until we got seriously ill. Why is this so difficult to grasp? The argument is just as crazy as the birthers!

Wait until all those young Obama supporters -- especially the ones who opt out of insurance -- learn that "reform" will require them to buy coverage -- at rates 3-4 times higher than now.

If Democrats keep attacking profits, why are they surprised if anyone concludes they are socialist? Do they even know that average-income Canadians pay 3 times as much in taxes as average-income Americans?

And why has Senator Baucus added a provision that the working poor with no employer health care will be eligible for a WATERED DOWN Medicaid? They've already sold out the people who need help the most.

The emperor has no clothes.

[TheKurgan9]

In life you should get what you pay for....that's what I was always told.

[dragonlady620]

Interesting that you would put it that way-since when it comes to medical insurance you may very well NOT get what you pay for.

[Mike Hihn]

I've only recently read the President's entire speech.

Does anyone actually know if Wilson was responding to the President having earlier accused the Republicans of telling lies? I don't recall a President ever calling opponents liars before, but it's right there in the transcript.

I can't see that either party has a clue here. And we know two signature proposals --mandated coverage and community rating -- have already failed. That's why HMOs no longer provide price competition to third-party insurance. Democrats sabotaged the market and then blamed the market for their own screwup.

I laugh every time I hear that insurance companies deny pre-existing conditions to lad their profits. If they insured pre-exisiting conditions, we'd all be stupid to buy health insurance until we got seriously ill. Why is this so difficult to grasp? The argument is just as crazy as the birthers!

Wait til all those young Obama supporters -- especially the ones who opt out of insurance -- learn that "reform" will require them to buy coverage -- at rates 3-4 times higher than now.

If Democrats keep attacking profits, why are they surprised if anyone concludes they are socialist? Do they even know that average-income Canadians pay 3 times as much in taxes as Americans?

And why has Senator Baucus added a provision that the working poor with no employer health care will be eligible for a WATERED DOWN Medicaid? They've already sold out the people who need help the most.

The emperor has no clothes.

[dragonlady620]

There HAVE lies told-by the medical insurance companies who have been dispensing those lies for years. The Republicans have certainly not made any noticeable effort to refute those myths.
As for profits-at the end of the day it comes down to whether you believe that basic healthcare is a human right, like public education, or just another profit-driven commodity. I personally don't believe that healthcare insurance should be for profit, period.

[Mike Hihn]

I've only recently read the President'sentire speech.

Does anyone actually know if Wilson was responding to the President having earlier accused the Republicans of telling lies? I don't recall a President ever calling opponents liars before, but it's right there in the transcript.

[Observer963]

Sign the letter to support the health care reform bill:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/hcsignonvid/?district=CA48&source=20090912_signon_vid_big
and donate if you can.

[MighteeAphrodite]

Opportunist. Obstructionist.

Censure the Wilson pimple.

[n4m]

"Wlison's point was that although the current language in HR3200 says "no benefits to illegal aliens",
each of the 3 House commitees reviewing the HR voted against GOP amendments requiring valid ID proof of citizenship when applying and establishing civil and criminal sanctions for fraudulent applications. So, if you have no effective mechanism to screen out illegal aliens during the application process and if there are no penalties for false applications, then just will stop illegal aliens from applying en masse?"

First of all, Wilson's point was not about whether illegals could participate in the "exchange", i.e. buy health insurance.
The dispute was about Republican claims HR3200 provides either free health insurance, or subsidizes it, for illegals.

The reason the Republican amendments were voted down was because they were unnecessary. They would've only added more paperwork (gov't bureaucrats getting between a doctor and patient) and cost.

It is not true that HR3200 has no provision for enforcement.
Enforcement is specified, the party responsible for setting up the enforcement mechanism is specified, and the deadline for the establishment of that enforcement mechanism is also specified.

Finally, if Republicans want to add another objection to their already long list, feel free..But do you really want to be go on the record as objecting to "illegal aliens" paying for their own health care?

[Poorsarah]

Anyone who is admitted to any USA healthcare facility is required, by law, to provide proof of citizenship...or that they are legal immigrants. IT IS THE LAW...IT WILL NOT CHANGE.

[Isosoles]

We are not tallking citizenship, we are talking illegals. You are most confused.

[Mike Hihn]

That's not true. There is no such check at all. I've recently been in twice for minor surgeries.

[DEJM]

This is false. go to any Emergency Room. They do not refuse care to anyone.

[Aerows]

A public option should provide coverage for Viagra, but it better not provide coverage for birth control or abortions, because those two things have nothing to do with each other.

Much like claiming that President Obama is a not an American citizen has nothing to do with all of the attention being placed upon whether or not illegal immigrants get covered.

Just say it already: The President is black and a Democrat so we have to ruin him. We have to show our butts like children because we didn't get elected.

[Aerows]

But but but Glen Beck said it was bad to like immigrants. He said we should be angry at the President and call him a racist if he likes immigrants. You can't like people from other countries without being a racist, right?

[BocaMom]

Why not cover them? What are we afraid of? Wky keep it a secret? We are going to pay for their health care anyway. This is so stupid!

[jemborg]

Right, and the same goes for covering abortions. Should women have to present themselves to Hospital Emergency after some disastrous backyard job? If they are lucky enough to make it to Emergency, that is.

[Aerows]

Why would a man want to deal with a woman having an abortion? It's not like they had anything to do with a woman getting pregnant..oh wait

[FreDraken]

Absolutely spot on! When America can be the destination of first choice for the chronically ill from all over the world who can manage to drag their sick selves here and sign up for subsidized healthcare which imposes no citizenship checks and no pre-existing conditions exclusions we are on the road to utterly transforming America.
These people will all quickly be put on the road to citizenship and 95% of them will be lifelong democrats. We'll have such an overwhelming edge in political power that there will only be about six red states left by about 2030.

[blastit]

I'm just saying if illegals can come here and get a free ride we should be able to move south of the boarder and do the same thing, How about the U.S just take over all those latin American countries, it would be better for them and for us.

[cigi]

Amen...we already pay for their care in ERs or even when admitted to hospitals through higher rates to those of us who have insurance. I do not want sick illegals walking around in my community. They work in restaurants, businesses of every kind and their children go to school with our children. If we need them here then we need to provide a better way for them to be here legally, with the condition that the businesses who hire them pay them an American wage and that they have an avenue to buying their health insurance while they are here. It is not brain surgery folks, it only takes the will of business to not exploit these folks and not push our standard of living to the bottom rungs with their flawed business plans. If you can't do the minimum for your workers, perhaps you don't have a viable business that benefits all. Making money for yourself off of a business is just part of the equation...society has to benefit also. It used to be the rule in this country up until the late 1800s that you could not INCORPORATE for more than 40 years and all states required that you must be a benefit to the consumer, the state, and the country overall.

[jemborg]

Very interesting cigi, there are also reports that these people contribute greatly to the economy as is.

[johnr49]

Under the Politics section of this website:

http://www.opencongress.org/articles/view/1219-Joe-Wilson-Voted-to-Provide-Taxpayer-Money-for-Illegal-Immigrants-Healthcare

Can anyone say "hypocrite"?

[Mike Hihn]

You can.

The Presdient never mentioned HR3200 and -- check the trascripts -- it was the President who first said his opponents were telling lies.

And Wilson never criticized any of the conflicting bills. He said the President had lied about them, and he's right. Right here in Hugginton, Obama made his first absolute statement on illegal immigrant healthcare, and reported (also in the publication) , that Obama's declaration had caused concerned among the left of his own party.

[martinfrosa]

Health Care Bill to Cover Undocumented Immigrants? TRUE.

While the bill specifically states that illegals will not be eligible for vouchers or credits to buy insurance, there is no provision requiring documentation of citizenship to receive these. In essence, the bill is a "don't ask, don't tell" situation with regard to illegal immigrants. They will be covered since they will not be required to prove they are citizens before receiving vouchers or credits. A simple provision requiring proof of citizenship sponsored by Republicans was shot down by the Democrats writing the bill. Does anyone wonder why? I do. This is a simple problem with a simple solution that was ignored by Democratic policy makers. Hmm.

This bill, as written, will be as effective at excluding illegals from getting care as our border is at preventing them from entering the United States.

[johnr49]

Since there is no requirement to prove legality before obtaining insurance now, what's your point?

[mactec]

Because right now taxpayers are not paying for a free government option dumb a..s!

[Poorsarah]

FALSE...people who are admitted to any healthcare facility have to fill out forms and prove they have insurance or the means to pay. This is the law.

[Isosoles]

Wrong wrong wrong been there.

[ImissBush]

hopefully it will cover mental illness
o wait
congress already has their own coverage
nvm

[seachild]

good one...ha!

[drbillybob]

"Health Care Bill To Cover Undocumented Immigrants? False." - Huff Post"

Really? Then somebody better talk to the non-partisan Congressional Research Service and get their minds right ... because they seem to agree with Mr. Wilson.

"Under H.R. 3200, a 'Health Insurance Exchange' would begin operation in 2013 and would offer private plans alongside a public option…H.R. 3200 does not contain any restrictions on noncitzens—whether legally or illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanentl­y—particip­ating in the Exchange." - CRS http://ryanjames.us/HR3200NonCitizen.pdf

[johnr49]

How about citing some unbiased observations?

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/sep/09/joe-wilson/joe-wilson-south-carolina-said-obama-lied-he-didnt/

http://factcheck.org/2009/09/obamas-health-care-speech/

[JonnyTruant]

Of course it doesn't stop illegal immigrants from participating in the exchange. That's not what the hubbub is about. They repubs don't want federal money being spent on illegal immigrants. Fine, it won't be. However, there's no reason for them not to participate in the exchange since they'll be paying full price for their insurance.

You have a problem with them paying full price? You do know that this will really be the only way to get insurance, right? Or would you rather them visit emergency rooms on our dime?

[bluestems]

So they can apply for it without proof of citizenship, however you miss the detail that the public option is not free to the majority of those who will sign up for it. The public option would only be subsidized to those who show they meet certain maximum income levels, and guess how you would prove you couldn't afford it...

doh!

you think illegals can whip out w-4s?