Calif. Cuts Health Care For Illegal Immigrants

[Kadie]

Mar 15, 2009 3:26 pm US/Pacific
Calif. Cuts Health Care For Illegal Immigrants

SACRAMENTO (AP) ―

Graciela Barrios, an undocumented immigrant with few resources, has long relied on her county health clinic for the advice, the medication and the tests that kept her diabetes under control.

But next month, Barrios and thousands like her will be on their own, with many more people across the nation facing the same fate.

Bowing to recession-related budget pressures, Sacramento County recently took the drastic step of cutting non-emergency health services to illegal immigrants. Contra Costa County will vote on a similar measure on Tuesday.

snip...
Counties may legally cut services to illegal immigrants. Although hospitals receiving Medicaid funds must provide emergency care for anyone who needs it, there is no law requiring health providers to offer primary care.

Health officials and immigrant advocates say they do not know how many local health systems provide primary care to undocumented immigrants. Officials note that many hospitals and clinics do not ask a patient's immigration status, in part because treating chronic conditions such as asthma and hypertension keeps patients from emergency room visits that are far less effective and more expensive.

snip...
"Cutting care, you save $100 today, but you may end spending $500 tomorrow when that person shows up in the emergency room because you didn't provide them with basic medication," said Ambegaokar. "It's shortsighted."

more...
http://cbs13.com/local/california.health.care.2.959918.html

[EFerrari]

1. That will come back to bite us. Stupid public health policy. n/t

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. If you don't believe this is a real problem, visit any emergency

waiting room in Southern California any time of the day or night, you had better be able to habla espanol

[FreakinDJ]

5. adds 20% to Hospital cost in Calif.

that was from Feinstien's site some years ago

[babylonsister]

3. Imagine working in a county health clinic and having to turn someone

away who could be seriously ill because of their immigration status? Does not compute to me.

[Pavulon]

6. Medical care in europe

required payment and identification. I am pretty sure Germany would not have allowed me to overstay my visa and catch a free ride on their system.

[Deja Q]

7. Let's get seriously ill then go to another country (illegally) -- see how far we get...

Maybe tally up a list of countries that helped... and which didn't.

[babylonsister]

9. They live here. So I suppose cramming emergency rooms is a

viable solution.

[Double T]

4. There should be NO free health care for illegal aliens.....I'm sorry!!

We can't even provide health care for nearly 50 million of our own citizens; we sure as hell can't provide it for illegal aliens. Charity begins with our own!

[aquart]

10. Hey, genius. How many contagious diseases are there?

Now when you're gardener gets one and can't get treatment, what are the chances you and your children won't get it too?

Let's see: whooping cough, plague, flu, measles, smallpox, typhoid, meningitis.........

[Double T]

11. Hey, rocket scientist.

Finish building the GD fence along the entire border with Mexico and then we won't have to worry about it. Our own citizens might actually be able to be cared for.

[Regret My New Name]

15. Fences are not the answer...

At least not the only answer. Really, if you just build a fence then people will find other ways in. The only real long term solution is to take away the incentive to illegally come to the US. I can think of a couple ways of doing that: A) Implement and enforce tougher laws on businesses who hire them for cheaper labor. B) Improve the quality of life in their home countries. Obviously the latter wouldn't be something that could quickly or easily be done, but it should be something that we keep in mind. However, there is no reason why we cannot quickly enforce laws that are tougher on businesses that hire illegal aliens.

Build a more effective border fences, but understand that it's not an actual fix to the problem...

[Double T]

17. Fences have proved to work and it would serve another immediate problem with gang violence.......

etc. The corrupt Mexican government needs to be changed by the Mexican people. I agree with your long term approach.

[Mojorabbit]

19. The fences are not working

I read an article here last week about how people were getting over, under,and through them. I suck at search or I'd find it for you.

[moundsview]

20. If you can afford a gardener you can pay his medical ins.

At least. Or do you expect the rest of us to pay for it?

[Motown_Johnny]

25. I work for a landscape company, I need to compete with illegals because they work for other

companies and our company can't keep clients by charging more than those companies.

Want to pay my health care? Nobody else wants to!

Illegals hurt working Americans. They also hurt other people who would like to immigrate here legally but can't because we have so many immigrants now that we don't allow the legal immigrants admittance.


You attitude is short sighted.

[emilyg]

13. I actually agree with you.

[Double T]

14. Thank you.

[moundsview]

8. The simple solution will be to ask for immigration status

in the emergency rooms. Try getting free medical care in Mexico sometime, and good luck to you.

[Regret My New Name]

16. Question: Would you like for all medical to be turned to illegal immigrants?

Say for example, someone with a life threatening wound? Also, as mentioned before, what if someone has a contagious disease that must be treated? If they are unable to get treatment at hospitals, then they most likely would not even bother going to the hospital. I'm assuming that if someone had life threatening problems or a contagious disease, then the hospital/government wouldn't just send them off in the interest of public health... but if they don't bother going to the hospital because they think they can't get care, then such things will not be caught, no? You might say, "well, if they can't get medical care then maybe they won't come here"... I don't think that is true, people will still take that risk if they think they can help their family out or improve their lives, but even if illegal immigration stopped 100%, there are still how many illegal immigrants here now?

These are all valid questions/concerns that I think should be thought about before making a knee-jerk reaction.

[moundsview]

18. Let me repeat, try getting free medical in Mexico

You can't even drive your car in Mexico without Mexican insurance for cripes sake, ours is no good to them. How about we treat their citizens the same as we are treated there?

(But I still get to Rocky Point whenever possible)

[Regret My New Name]

21. You want to emulate Mexico's policies?

Things are not all that awesome down there these days. Also, you're avoiding the questions. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm simply pointing out the side-effects of taking an approach. You can bury your head in the sand about the ramifications of it, but that's not a wise move in my opinion. Obviously there is an issue with the costs associated with treating illegal immigrants, and burying our heads in the sand in regards to that is foolish too. However, the solution has to be a smart solution that doesn't cause more harm than good...

[moundsview]

22. When in Rome...

My son in law is Hispanic, my future daughter in law is Hispanic, 2 of my business partners are legal Mexican nationals and the great labor leader Ceasar Chavez marched to the Mexican border with RFK to protest illegal immigration.

It's a real problem for all involved, and we can no longer afford it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. Wrong, your insurance is good up to 50 miles in

just a pain to get YOUR insurance company to cover your car down there... yep I asked my agent, and was careful to read that IN MY POLICY

That is why it is highly suggested you buy a day insurance policy

I drove down in Tijuana for ten years and NEVER ever got a mexican policy by the way.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. You know how many Americans we took care off at the Red Cross

Emergency Room in Tijuana?

I call bullshit on you

Mostly, been there, done that, taken care of those patients... hell in some cases transported them to US Hospitals because they could NOT afford a private US ambulance

[madrchsod]

12. one word---tuberculosis

[Liberal_in_LA]

28. 2nd word; Hepatitis

[cynatnite]

23. ER's better get ready.

Think it's bad now? This will cost in both money and lives.

[Incitatus]

27. If you arrive by ambulance you are admitted immediately.

something to keep in mind