Who's a Liar? In Search of the Million Dollar Illegal Immigrant to End All Health Care Reform

The health care debate has been hijacked by angry people who have health insurance, don't want their applecart upset, and thusly have resorted to spreading out-and-out lies about the current attempt at reform.

Some so angry, they'll catcall the president during a nationally-televised address to congress. Thanks for being so classy Rep. Joe Wilson, Republican of South Carolina, as you yelled "You lie!" when Obama said no illegal immigrants would receive benefits under his plan.

Let's get something straight about all of the healthcare proposals currently being floated in Congress: IF the federal government DID subsidize health care, illegal immigrants would be excluded from benefits.

Too vague for you? OK, let's try it a different way: there is a section in all of the bills, such as I understand them, specifically outlining that there will be no federal payments for undocumented aliens.

The Library of Congress' research arm released a report on August 25 verifying that in all the proposed bills, "unauthorized aliens would be barred" from receiving any federally subsidized money for health care.

Oh that's not stopping the same sorts of people who dreamt up "death panels" for insisting otherwise as they try to fire-bomb health-care reform, according to Julia Preston in Sunday's New York Times piece "Health Care Debate Revives Immigration Battle."

According to the article, people like Senator Charles E. Grassley will tell you that though this restriction is clearly articulated, the House bill is "so poorly cobbled together" that it effectively moots the restriction.

Texas Representative Lamar Smith said that Democrats had "intentionally left gaping loopholes" that would allow - heck, even encourage!!! is the subtext - illegal immigrants to get federally subsidized health care.

How to keep illegal aliens to foxtrot through loopholes, however, is a sticky matter. In 2005, a law was passed requiring all applicants to Medicaid to verify their citizenship status, and some have floated the idea of using those same guidelines for any new program. But, ouch, this country doesn't have a feasible and comprehensive system for keeping track of who's who here - probably a relic from olden days when the citizens of this country weren't quite so eager to ensure that the non-citizens among us were run out of the country on a rail.

Sure, we could require every person currently living in the United States to produce proof of citizenship for nearly anything but guess who gets left out in the cold?

Old people, who can't produce original official birth documents.

The flaky, who have a tendency to lose stuff.

Victims of fire or other natural disasters, who lose all of their possessions.

There are surely about a million scenarios, but for a moment forget any future systems; the current one is conducive to a lot of head-scratching: the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform audited and analyzed the verification costs and results of six states and found that the more stringent rules imposed by the 2005 legislation requiring proof of citizenship increased federal costs by $8.3 million and only detected eight illegal immigrants on the state rolls.

Yep, that's about a cool million spent per illegal immigrant.

Wouldn't it be more effective to drop the verification requirements and enact some sort of cruel, Dickensian punishment for defrauding the government of Federally funded benefits (that's almost close to being true already, which might be the number one reason there were only eight lawbreakers found in that particular study)?

Wouldn't that $8 million be better spent - if any far-reaching health care reform bills were passed - on outreach into communities with high illegal immigrant populations to let them know that the new laws require them to buy health insurance or face tax penalties?

Tax penalties above and beyond the current penalties of paying into social security and the Internal Revenue Service without a penny of benefit in return, that is?

What - you didn't know that? Yes, illegal immigrants pay taxes: FICA and Medicare. Let's not forget Social Security - to the tune of $12 billion in 2007. Plus sales taxes, and gasoline taxes. And also property taxes, which fund almost all of the costs of local schooling in Illinois and the rest of the country. Hey, I'm not saying any of this is good or bad, but it is a fact too-often overlooked.

But what the heck, let's just go ahead and bar anyone - legal or illegal, black, white, brown, whatever - who can't come up with an official document from access to health care, whether it be preventative or emergency.

After all it's not like we all breathe the same air. Or ride the same buses, or attend the same schools - elementary, high school, or college - together. It's not like we have an H1N1 flu outbreak looming over us...those pesky viruses know how to target only those who'll have the means to overcome illness.

Nope, all the legal, currently-insured people should just continue to do their best to dive-bomb healthcare for the legal or illegal neediest among us so they can live healthily and happily ever after.

Thanks a lot, Joe, for adding to the chorus of "haves" who will say just about anything to keep healthcare from the "have-nots."

Esther J. Cepeda is an opinion journalist and expert on the issues of U.S. Hispanics/Latinos. She writes about that and much, much more on www.600words.com

Follow Esther J. Cepeda on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@ejc600words

Comments

[AnotherMcIntosh]

Ms. Cepeda,

Do you want to support President Obama's position that federal funds will not be used to finance medical care for illegal aliens?

He publicly said that is his position.

But some, particularly Republicans show no inclination to believe that.

If you support President Obama's position, here's how you can help. You can make the effort to advocate that all illegal aliens (except those in our federal prisons and state facilities) return to their countries of origin.

If you are advocate on the issues affecting U.S. Hispanics and Latinos, this would benefit Hispanics and Latinos who reside in this country legally. Legal immigrants could see their wages go up as they would face less illegal competition from illegal immigrants. Hispanics and Latinos who are U.S. citizens would also benefit.

[Esther J. Cepeda - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear "AnotherMcIntosh" let's be clear about a couple of things: I support president Obama's position that federal funds will not be used to finance government subsidies to provide health care to those living in the U.S. illegally.

This is not to say I advocate denying urgent or emergency medical care to anyone, regardless of their citizenship status: we can not live in a country where people are left mained, hurt, or left to die because of citizenship.

Also, I will advocate for, as you say, "all" illegal aliens to return to their countries of origin once we can get a bi-partisan panel of economists together to assure me that the cost of shipping such people back - and then making do without their cheap labor - will not hurt us more than the current state.

If qualified, bipartisan budgetary experts can assure the citizens of the United States that we can afford to re-patriate all illegal aliens and then pay fair wages to attract legal aliens and U.S. citizens to the jobs the illegal aliens vacate, I'll be the first person advocating that we do just that.

~Esther

[Jasina23]

Ms. Cepeda,

I am impressed with your position to advocate for Hispanics -- unless I have missed something you have already written,,. I beg of you to start some noise supporting Luis Gutierrez and the Hispanic caucus blocking health care and insurance reform (ala the Blue Dogs gang of six, or whatever it's known as) if it doesn't adopt a humane policy regarding illegal immigrants. We were promised immigration reform by Obama, and this is what he gets for not dealing with it -- he can't not deal with it. I love Obama, but push him to the wall on this one. Go Gutierrez!!

-- (a non-Hispanic, U. S.- born citizen for human rights)--

[norman60]

There are many joe wilsons in the Republican party. They make us stupid, small and mad. They want to be in authority but have no respect for authority. They want public office and do not possess the demeanor to occupy it. They want it for all the wrong reasons. It's time to purge of politics of these bad eggs.They are not worth any dime or a vote.

[FloresdelaHoz]

Hispanic and black Americans united with progressive Whites and Jewish Americans could make this the greatest country of the 21st century.

[JerryLevy]

Look at the specious argument this author attempts to sell:

"But what the heck, let's just go ahead and bar anyone - legal or illegal, black, white, brown, whatever - who can't come up with an official document from access to health care, whether it be preventative or emergency."

Some how she actually equates the exclusion of illegal aliens from the healthcare reform with discrimination against minorities in America. This thinking is irrelevant at best, illogical at worst. No one is advocating the exclusion of any citizen in the U.S. based on race, religion, national origin etc. What a ridiculous eqivocatio­n------tho­se who do not think we can afford to add millions of illegal aliens to the healthcare roles are somehow racist.

[etiennemacchias]

I laugh that you don't think that such exclusion isn't a discrimination against minorities.

Just because they lack a piece of paper does not make these people any less... human. I believe beliefs like yours are not only inhumane but also detrimental to the long-term Latino-White relations.

We need to conjure up a more open and efficient immigrations process to let immigrants to work and pay taxes and enjoy the benefits that they lack in their native countries, rather than preventing them from coming... because let's face it, such prevention is neither effective nor productive for our country.

[mikefina]

There are 6 BIllion people on the planet. They are not 'less human' either. But they aren't citizens. And a privelege of citizenship is access to its benefits and responsibilities.

You might just as well argue that every Jamaican, Honduran or Pakistani should have American health benefits--if only they could get here illegally.

Stop it.

[JerryLevy]

I laugh that someone would think anyone who chooses to enter this country illegally is owed heathcare by the taxpayers of the U.S. I laugh even harder that someone would see this view as "discrimination." As for developing a better immigration program, that is a whole different issue.

[mommamia526]

o.k.Something different. There are residents who are immigrants and non-immigrants. Then there are immigrants, who may be legal and residents, or even already have become citizens. Immigrants are also here illegally.

It is a fact that these illegal aliens receive emergency room and other medical treatment and often do not pay. I could add to the cases cited Emergency rooms being closed in Florida, a.o.

Now let us find a possible remedy. The U.S. has Treaties on Social Security with a nr of nations, a.o. Mexico, I believe. We need treaties on medical care as well. Example, aliens, whether here illegally, or legally, staying for a short visit or a longer stay, should be insured in their native countries and their insurers should pay for treatment in the U.S. Aliens who are legal residents, however, should be insured in the U.S. like everyone else. There STILL might be supplementary insurance supplied out of their native country. That is sort of how it works with the Treaties on Social Security.

[Humanistic]

Sure, like the Mexican Government is going to insure all of its poor...and provide good paying jobs, decent housing, clean water, child care and good education. If this were the case, the poor wouldn't risk their lives crossing the border to find a better life. And what about Guatemala, Haiti, and all the other countries that have devoted even fewer resources to helping their poor?

No, I think it's up to the US, to provide some measure of protection for all residents, legal and illegal, at least until such time as a new immigration policy is enacted.

I'm glad the author has made the significant point about health care as a human right. There aren't enough voices of conscience out there.

[eddiesengola]

Here is the list of the Senate Democrats listed as ""Don't know" on the Public Option :

Source : http://standwithdrdean.com/where_congress_stands?chamber=Senate&party=D&state=&hc_status=0&commit=Filter

Sen Max Baucus D MT Phone: [phone]
Sen Evan Bayh D IN Phone: [phone]
Sen Mark Begich D AK Phone: [phone]
Sen Robert Byrd D WV Phone: [phone]
Sen Thomas Carper D DE Phone: [phone]
Sen Kent Conrad D ND Phone: [phone]
Sen Mary Landrieu D LA Phone: [phone]
Sen Blanche Lincoln D AR Phone: [phone]
Sen Bill Nelson D FL Phone: [phone]
Sen Benjamin Nelson D NE Phone: [phone]
Sen Mark Pryor D AR Phone: [phone]
Sen Jon Tester D MT Phone: [phone]
Sen Mark Warner D VA Phone: [phone]
Sen Ron Wyden D OR Phone: [phone]

[AnotherMcIntosh]

"Here is the list of the Senate Democrats listed as ""Don't know" on the Public Option "

You could add one more prominent Democrat in your "Don't know" list on the Public Option:
President Barack Obama 202-456-1111

Source: Presidential speech before a joint session of Congress, Sept 9, 2009
"To my progressive friends, I would remind you that for decades, the driving idea behind reform has been to end insurance company abuses and make coverage available for those without it. The public option ... we should remain open to other ideas."

The rightful inclusion in the "Don't know" category will be categorically confirmed when he and his top-level advisors start publicly using the half-a-loaf argument and express his willingness to sign any "reform" bill that crosses his desk.

[ahansen]

YOUR "SEARCH" ENDS HERE, MS. CEPEDA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesica_Santillan

The illegal alien who, ahead of a long waiting list of American citizens received not one but TWO multi-million dollar heart/lung transplants.

American emergency rooms are MANDATED to take anyone who comes in the door needing help. In this sense, Rep. Wilson was correct, if obnoxious.

[FoonTheElder]

Emergency rooms are not required to provide extreme operations or other treatment to those who have not made payment arrangements. All they are required to do is stabilize the patient as much as possible and send them home.

They are not mandated to provide any more than basic care to stabilize the patient.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

I do not want to agree with Rep. Wilson, but this certain seems to support the position that illegal aliens will receive medical care.

Of course, the alternative view may be that the situation involving Jesica Santillan is an exception and no other federally funded medical facilities will provide medical services to other illegal aliens.

Maybe, under the alternative view, we can also assume that after the bill is signed, no one will continue to advocate that illegal aliens should receive federally-funded medical care. If this assumption is valid, no one will claim that they pay gasoline taxes (which may be from driving illegally in the United States), or other taxes.

[yankees]

But wait, the Obama administration will legalized the Illegal Aliens thus they will become eligible for Health Care and secure more votes for Democrats. It's a great strategy!!! It's all about Politics and Obama is playing a great game, which I give him credit for despite disagreeing with him. I can't fault him for this as it's just as good as watching sports.

[COPerez]

You do - of course - have a link to some document that shows this administration intends to "legalize" all the illegal aliens?

[CelticMajic]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/10/AR2009081001797.html

read it and weep

[mommamia526]

O.k. Yankee, and now YOU wait. IF it is true that illegal Aliens will be made legal residents, or even citizens, they will get their own ssn, pay taxes, Medicare, SS-taxes, and healthcare insurance, like everyone else. No one is going to legalize aliens who do not work and are under ground, and hopefully, just as is the case now with insured persons going for medical care, one will have to show an insurance card plus an identification. Although I have been a patient with several doctors for a very long time, I EVEN have to fill out forms, twice a year, and show my insurance cards plus one ID each time I come in. I am an U.S. citizen. IF the now legalized immigrant pays all taxes, including SS and Medicare, Federal and Local plus pays healthcare insurance premiums that will work to increase the foundations of the various insurance programs.

[yankees]

The whole point is that they are illegal in the first place. Both parties failed to stop this, the Dems have the better strategy.
Don't forget the Illegals go to the free clinics where nobody is denied help. Try one, you won't have to show too much ID or good fakes work too.

[flameworker]

Why is Joe Wilson so upset? Simple. Follow the money.

Just look at how many of his 2010 contributors are health care related. His #1 contributor is the American Hospital Association, but among the top 20 are the American Speech Language Hearing Association, Blue Cross/Blue Shield(!), Carecore (a specialty benefit MANAGEMENT company, American Society of Anesthesiologists, and AstraZeneca PLC (pharmaceutical).

https://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.php?cid=N00024809&cycle=2010&type=I&newMem=N&recs=100

[Cherie King]

I repeat.... In 2005 I had a classmate who worked in billing for a major hospital here in Metro Phoenix area, she said first person in line to pay bills, in cash is the supposed illegals. I am not sure of her ethnic background. But a lot in class were either Mexican or Native American, the substitute teacher making remarks was white and worked for a insurance corporation. I think I'd rather take the word of someone who works in billing over anyone else.

[mommamia526]

You may be correct, because if you are not insured they will ask you to pay cash. Even if you ARE insured they will ask you to pay cash, and then you must see that your insurer will reimburse you. However, if you can not pay, and say so, most hospitals and doctors have provisions for that. The patient fills out a form, and the cost is taken care of. There is no billing for such patients. Patients who are related to physicians often do not pay either; they receive what is called professional courtesy. I take it that your classmate works in billing and you do not. And that classmate has an ethnic background. Hospital billing is never in cash in advance for hospital stays, surgeries, etc. as the amounts involved are not known beforehand. Emergency Rooms are in Hospitals. Some doctors have refused to work in ER's because of too many patients to handle, and ER's have been closed for the same reason.

[Cherie King]

in light of the recent mortgage crisis many Mexican-American's have been scammed into paying cash for a free service, That they don't believe in free stuff, like it can't be "quality" or "good" if its free. when I heard about this I truly believe my former classmates story. I have some $20k in personal debt (more than half is medical) and over $60k in student loans, I may file bankruptcy and use student loan repayments to rebuild credit.

[Pinkie e]

Not one dime...NOT ONE DIME I tell you .... will come from the national deficit to pay for this HC bill. It will all be funded by the savings we get from fraud and waste in the present system." That statement alone should be enough to scare the hell out of us. Will we hear any criticism from PBO's personal guard dog media..MSNBC CBS ABC NY Times etc. Of course not and that's even scarier !

[FoonTheElder]

We're too busy spending billions of the national deficit on fraudulent wars in Iraq and useless wars in Afghanistan. Our Congress thinks that's great because it goes towards military corporate welfare.

If single payer was adopted we could save $1 trillion per year, as that is what we already spend above what it costs for all of the other developed countries. But our 'fiscal conservatives' think that having a current health care tax that is twice as much as any other country is just fine as long as it is going to the big corporations that pay for their campaigns. There's never any problem passing big corporate welfare programs.

http://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2009/7/2/saupload_health.png
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1747974920080717

[William50]

When the Constitution says the United States of North America perhaps we then should be willing to pay for people here who are not supporting the country threw taxes.
To be truthful, this issue is about the failure of the American Government and large American business to keep Americans working a high wages and benifits. If the shift from lets rebuild the world with American jobs had been lets rebuild American industry to be the very best in the world we the people would not give a d... about health care because it would not be an issue.
I suggest that instead of health care for all we spend that money, billion every year in making America the largest supplier of everything again. From games to war materials let the world come to us for the very best in everything. If we did this health care would not be an issue.
middleamerican2010
Casey

[maddy48]

This hysteria about treating illegal aliens is a stupid straw dog. Generally, the poorest among us do not show up in the ER until they are desperately ill or seriously injured. There will be enormous cost to turning away someone who can spread a bacterial or viral infection w/o getting treatment. What benefit in turning away a family's sole provider? What benefit in not treating the victims of an accident? What benefit will be derived from not treating pneumonia or an infection in the early stages? This is nonsense when we may be looking @ an epidemic somewhere down the road. Healthcare is damn costly in the US! Worse than anywhere in the world. Lets get the costs under control w/ a good bill & understand that we'll all be better off when everyone can get treatment early when the costs are the lowest.

[WilliamBradford]

So stop lying and state specifically that the public option will cover people based on their need without regard to their citizenship. If that's a good idea, have the courage to tell the truth and stand by it.

[kathy001]

Did you even read this article? Have you read anything other than Republican talking points? All 5 bills currently in Congress specifically state that illegal immigrants will not be covered.

But why am I even wasting my time on replying to you? You don't really want the truth. If you did, you would already have it. It's not like anyone's been hiding it from you, it's more like you have been hiding from the truth.

[Samcat604]

There are many reasons why health care is so expensive. Treating everyone early will help with quality of care, but it will not make it cheaper. Is giving mammograms to find early cancer to every woman cheaper than treating the relatively few cases you catch early? A $200 test to 1/2 the population becomes very expensive.

Greater transparency to patients (post prices)
Greater competition of insurance to patients (interstate competitions)
Less barriers to insurers entering the market (standardize and less regulation)
Less interference of malpractice to doctors (Tort reform)
Removing the stranglehold hospitals have on treatments (break hospital monopoly)

These and other ideas will reduce costs and improve care. Basically, the GOPs plan.

[yliza]

"Is giving mammograms to find early cancer to every woman cheaper than treating the relatively few cases you catch early? A $200 test to 1/2 the population becomes very expensive."

ummm...yes, mammograms and other preventive procedures are cheaper in the long run. Think how much it costs to treat cancer: catching it early and treating it before it it spreads in ONE person will save enough to pay for thousands of mammograms. Then there's the moral argument. Would you rather save a few bucks and let thousands of women get breast cancer?

[AProudIndependent]

First, is this. Who was it that called Obama a "charming liar"?
http://opencrs.com/document/R40773/

And another example of facts "too often overlooked".
But then...when has the far left ever let the real world get in the way of their opinions?

This btw, is just one of many, many examples of what's going on around our country.

Raise your hand if you'd be okay with this happening in your community.....

Aug. 16, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
STATE OF EMERGENCY:: Illegal immigrants burden UMC

http://www.lvrj.com/news/53343302.html

[texastrixie]

Sorry, but this argument doesn't fly. Birth certificates are available thru the state government which has back-up records that are computerized. In addition, if those websites that help you research your family history can come up information on people going back to Ellis Island, why can't the government, if you need documentation? Until the health care bills state that people will be asked to prove they are U.S. citizens or any other citizenship status we want to include, then people will think that illegal immigrants will get coverage. It doesn't make sense not to require citizenship validation. Illegals will still be able to get emergency care thru the ER. We also don't want to encourage anyone who is gravely ill in another country to somehow sneak in here to receive medical care. We can can barely afford to treat our own people, we certainly cannot treat everyone in the world who has cancer and needs treatment but cannot afford it.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

"Birth certificates are available thru the state government which has back-up records that are computerized. In addition, if those websites that help you research your family history can come up information on people going back to Ellis Island, why can't the government, if you need documentation?"

Although I am not in favor of finanicially supporting health care for illegal immigrants unless they are in our federal prisons, you seem to be making certain assumptions.

You expressly refer to Ellis Island and apparently believe that we all have ancestors that came through Ellis Island. Some of us don't, including some of us whose ancestors came over in the 1600's. This includes some Spanish descendants who lived in portions of Mexico before those area were annexed by Texas and then the United States. There are United States citizens of Spanish descent whose ancestors never saw Ellis Island.

You say that "Birth certificates are available thru the state government." Do you live some place other than one of the Western States? There are people still living today that were born at home on remote ranches. What do you tell somebody, for example, who was born 97 years ago in South Dakota but has no birth certificate because his family lived too far away from any hospital and more than a 100 miles from the nearest doctor? Check your state records?

Then, too, consider native Americans without birth certificates. What should they do? Check their state records? Check with Ellis Island?