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Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009
|=20Health care, illegal-immigrant debates merge: = GOP pushes=20 for citizenship verification tools'
=
- McClatchy Newspapers
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FORT WORTH, Texas -- The explosive issue of extending benefits and = providing=20 additional coverage for illegal immigrants is one battle Democrats are = trying to=20 avoid as they continue their push to overhaul the nation's health care=20 system.
Democrats say that safeguards are already in place to prevent the = more than=20 12 million illegal immigrants in the country from being covered by any=20 government insurance program, and they insist that nothing will change = in the=20 bills they are pushing.
But many Republicans question whether the current safeguards really = do the=20 job, and they are concerned that the Democratic plans would open "a back = door"=20 to government-run health care for those here illegally.
Republicans have tried to amend the bills to insert provisions making = it=20 clear that illegal immigrants won't benefit, and they vow to keep = trying.
This issue has become a flashpoint in the debate as polls show most = citizens=20 don't want Congress to let illegal immigrants benefit from reform = plans.
"Something better needs to be done than what is being done now," said = Connie=20 Baskette, 56, of Fort Worth.
Democratic leaders say that illegal immigrants are not covered in the = plan=20 and that protections in place will prevent them from obtaining = subsidies.
Republicans support measures such as a recent failed amendment that = would=20 have required "citizenship verification tools."
In Texas, health care for illegal immigrants cost hospitals about = $1.3=20 billion in 2006, state comptroller estimates show.
The cost is high because illegal immigrants generally pay for medical = costs=20 out of pocket. So they tend to wait until they are very ill to go to = hospitals=20 or clinics, and those who cannot pay are often written off by hospitals = as=20 charity care, a practice some fear may continue under the new plan.
"I wouldn't want to see laws change and have people die in emergency = rooms,=20 not getting care," said Alice Roche, a Fort Worth accountant. "At the = same time,=20 I'm concerned about the economy and about the taxes I pay."
Congress could vote on the overall health care plan soon after they = return=20 from their August recess.
Estimates from the Center for Immigration Studies show more than 7 = million=20 illegal immigrants are among the 46 million without health = insurance.
An amendment to specifically address illegal-immigrant health care = concerns=20 arose in a key congressional committee last month, when Rep. Dean = Heller,=20 R-Nev., proposed requiring that citizenship verification tools be used. = He said=20 the tools would cross-reference personal information.
"If the majority party insists on moving forward with governmentrun = health=20 care plan, Congress should do everything within its power to curb = abuse," Heller=20 has said.
His plan failed 26-15 in the House Ways and Means Committee, with the = vote=20 split down party lines.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, said Heller's measure wasn't needed = because the=20 bill prevents anyone in this country illegally from gaining federal help = for=20 premiums, just as current law prevents those people from gaining = Medicaid and=20 other medical coverage.
"The rejected amendment would have for the first time allowed = insurance=20 companies to access sensitive personal information to shop for customers = and for=20 other commercial purposes, while avoiding any responsibility to protect=20 individual privacy or provide redress for errors as currently required = of=20 government agencies," Doggett said.
Fellow Texan Rep. Kevin Brady also serves on the committee and said = he does=20 believe the amendment is needed.
"There are vague protections in there," said Brady, a Republican. "So = vague=20 you can drive a truck through them."
Heller's proposal, which may find new life later, is geared to = prevent=20 illegal immigrants who may have counterfeit documents from being = covered.
Some say it wouldn't work.
"The problem with the citizenship verification tools is that of false = negatives - citizens or other properly documented persons who the tools = do not=20 identify as such," said James Swan, a professor of applied gerontology = at the=20 University of North Texas in Denton. "It can be as simple as a middle = name used=20 one place (e.g., Social Security) and omitted another.
"This is a major problem when people are denied employment on a false = basis,"=20 he said. "Now consider what this could mean for someone seeking health = coverage,=20 or even immediately seeking needed health care."
And it could create a problem for doctors, as well.
"This essentially makes hospital folks law enforcement folks," said = Jim=20 Riddlesperger, a political science professor at Texas Christian = University.
"Do we want everyone who comes in to prove they are American citizens = before=20 they get treatment?
"We have already opened up our health care coverage to illegals - = millions=20 are being treated today," he said. "This isn't a new problem."
Some say providing health care to illegal immigrants should be=20 considered.
"Rather than having that person end up in our emergency rooms, = costing us=20 more, it makes sense to provide some preventative cost services, no = matter what=20 their status," said Kathleen Walker, an El Paso, Texas, attorney and = past=20 president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
President Barack Obama has said that those in the U.S. illegally = shouldn't be=20 included in the new plan but that there may need to be exceptions for=20 youths.
"If you've got children who may be here illegally but are still in=20 playgrounds or at schools, and potentially are passing on illnesses and=20 communicable diseases, that aren't getting vaccinated, that I think is a = situation where you may have to make an exception," he told CBS = News.
Most U.S. voters - 80 percent - say they are against giving = government health=20 care coverage to illegal immigrants through the plan Congress is working = on,=20 according to a June Rasmussen national telephone survey.
Comments
Commenting allows our readers to share information, insights and = observations=20 about the news stories on our site. We encourage lively, thoughtful = discussion,=20 but ask you to refrain from abusive, racist or profane comments. Do not = attack=20 others for their viewpoints, race, gender or sexual orientation. We do = not=20 monitor each and every posting, but reserve the right to delete comments = that=20 violate these rules. Notify us of violations by hitting the "Report = Abuse"=20 button. Repeat or flagrant offenders will lose their commenting = privileges, at=20 our discretion.
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