Latino Lawmaker Rips Obama For Making It Harder For Undocumented Immigrants To Buy Private Insurance

ABC News:

President Obama was blasted by a top Latino ally on Monday for modifying his health-care plan in the face of conservative criticism.

The criticism was leveled in Spanish by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a Democrat from Illinois who was the first Latino member of Congress to endorse Barack Obama for president.

Read the whole story: ABC News

Comments

[ILBucki]

Called each & every day while my white child was hospitalized, wanting to know how I will pay all the bills. Meanwhile, the illegals got ushered thru the doors, nobody harrassed them! Then I was run thru the meat grinder to prove I could not pay the ridiculous amount!! That was in a Right-to-W­ork-Cheapl­y State.
Returned to Chicago, now flooded with illegal Mexicans, not to mention illegal Poles. Again, nobody cards them for insurance proof. Nobody sends them home at the E.R., even when their anchor babies & their illegal spawn don't even have runny noses, coughs or anything else wrong (other than mamacita wants to use the E.R. as a well-baby visit).
Latest fiasco: college child gets hurt in a very, very liberal state. The E.R. calls home to verify that the insurance card she has on her isn't FAKE?! WTF??? Meanwhile, again, the illegals are getting the red carpet treatment. Deport, deport, deport! Shut down all visa systems. Simple as that.

[Miguel Guadalupe - Huffpost Blogger]

It is fear that is making the health care bill a catch 22 for undocumented immigrants. By requiring verification, you will keep people in the shadows, and that means more emergency room visits for basic care, and more people lacking screenings and preventative care, which lead to greater contagion of communicable diseases like the flu, and higher mortality for treatable diseases, like diabetes, breast and prostate cancer. The logic behind "not covering illegals" is wrong headed and blinded by xenophobia and racism. That the democrats keep caving to these negative tactics is disappointing. I recently wrote that we have yet to feel the full wrath of the right wing, because we have yet to discuss immigration reform. People are not illegal, it is a dehumanizing term for undocumented people in this country.

[mcantwell]

Quote: "Undocumented immigrants would be able to buy insurance in the non-exchange private market, just as they do today."

Quote: ""Verification will be required when purchasing health insurance on the exchange."

[Miguel Guadalupe - Huffpost Blogger]

understood. Thanks. I don't understand whats the big deal. If they have money to pay into the system - it can only benefit the rest of us. I think people confuse health care insurance with free health care. It's not free, you pay into it like everyone else.

[watamess]

"People are not illegal"

They are when they break into my country.

[hopepad08]

Instead of whinning about Obama, why not encourage all the illegals to become legals. Then they would be entitled to get Health Care. If there are hear they just as well make it legal.

[Miguel Guadalupe - Huffpost Blogger]

I agree with that. I believe most do if given the opportunity to do so. I hope you will come out in support of immigration reform when it comes up.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

Mexico is a very wealthy country.

The only practical solution is to convince or force the Mexican elites in Mexico to share the wealth with the illegal aliens who are now in this country. Negotiate if possible. Invade if necessary.

If the Mexican elites would share the wealth, those Mexican nationals who don't want to be Americans would go home.

Let the Mexican elites provide health care and health insurance for their citizens.

One other thing, Mexico, like Iraq, has oil.

[EndRacismNow]

Our own elites and free trade agreements also help create poverty in Mexico. When Argentina tried to help develop nuclear energy in Mexico so that there would be abundant cheap energy it was stopped by the IMF destroying Argentina's economy. The world's elites keep third world countries third world. Especially the bankers.

[Miguel Guadalupe - Huffpost Blogger]

Let's hope the Chinese don't think the same about us.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

I don't see the problem.

If the Chinese ever think that it would be a good idea for the Mexican elite to share the wealth of Mexico with the illegal aliens that are now in this country, with the result that the Mexican nations who don't want to be Americans would go home, this would be a good idea.

Illegal aliens drive down the wages of legal aliens in the country as well as Americans. No one should support that.

[mcantwell]

For those of you who said President Obama has thrown illegals under the bus, they cans still buy private health insurance!


• "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."

[Sparhawk]

He needs to be voted out of office. What part of ILLEGAL doesn't this guy understand?

[MyNameIsJames]

If you are Black or Latino - don't expect THIS President to give you public support. HOWEVER, if you make a mistake - expect him to give you negative feedback PUBLICLY.

That gives him credibility with the White majority.

[noudidnt]

Roger that.

[DredLockRasta]

Short memories we have. He gave public support professor gates, and look what it got him. darned if you darn if you don't.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

Maybe not. Maybe he is reinforcing his crebility with his corporate sponsors rather than a White majority which consists of liberals and progressives.

[PaxEterna]

Obama caves on everything that is hard . . . that is, that requires LEADERSHIP.

[shamroc02]

If he caved on everything that is hard he would have never ran for the Presidency in the first place..he would have just sat around complaining on a computer, like yourself.

[rockyb26]

many illegals are paid extremely low wages, how does this guy expect them to be able to afford private insurance on their own?

[Begrateful]

Immigration reform - make Mexico part of the US. Problem solved? Now we need to deal with the gang and drug problem...­...

These people are here ILLEGALLY! They are breaking the law --- our taxpayer money belongs to US Americans. Why is this concept so difficult to understand??

[mcantwell]

Well....Re­agan passed law for Emergency Medicare that subsidizes States that treal illegal immigrants in their emergency rooms. Since it pays for only a portion of the costs, the rest is passed on to people with private health insurance.

Quote: " Without access to either the exchange, or employer-provided group coverage, experts think it will be very difficult for anyone to afford insurance. This, in turn, could lead the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants to rely more heavily than ever on expensive emergency room care whose costs are then shifted to the government as well as to individuals who have private insurance.­"

[rockyb26]

you're right. here in houston, tx, about 85% of the county hospitals' (which treat a great deal of illegals from Mexico) expenses are paid for by taxpayers.

[barackobama4prez]

I want immigration reform. But this critique is just wrong!

[jcapp1]

Say What! Is he saying that Obama is not making the criminals that sneak into our country comfortable enough My My what is the country coming to. Why don't we all move to Mexico and let the illegals have the US?

[mergina]

Luis, give it a rest. You are talking about MILLIONS of ILLEGAL ALIENS that are spawning TENS OF MILLIONS OF VERY ANGRY AMERICANS because they are here taking their jobs, and on and on and on.

[DorianBrandon]

Yes, all interest groups want their causes to be handled immediately; even illegal immigrants getting free health care.

The townhall meetings are a good example where old people, who do not know which side their bread is buttered on, espousing abracadabra as a result of sheer dotage.

Mr. Pres you will need a whole lot of juju, fetich, voodoo. It is only with your hard work coupled with these other supernatural powers that you will be able to satisfy the wide spectrum of issues that these people expected you to handle within eight months; when the former President could not handle them within 8 years..

[fallingsky]

Luis ,,,, how racist,,, where is the civility,,,, mcCarthyism

[fallingsky]

did I miss any lib talking points?

[mcantwell]

WTH are you babbling about?