Free Health Care for Illegal Immigrants
Apparently the programs are available in a number of states and are reported to "annually costs U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars." But, according to the same article, "The Mexican consul in Los Angeles proudly announced that nearly 300,000 Mexicans in the area have benefited from his government’s health referral program, which he says actually saves the county money by encouraging immigrants to seek preventive care rather than waiting for more expensive emergency treatment."
As you can see, if one takes the time to obtain all the facts, this is a tough topic to pick sides with. On one hand, it is hard to hear about illegal immigrants getting free health care when over 40 million U.S. citizens still lack health insurance. But, on the other hand, if the immigrants are here and do need health care, would we want to be a society that would turn the other way? And, it does make sense that it would save money in the end with prevention.
Now it is your turn... take the time to post a comment and give me your thoughts.
Comments
In response to your question, “if the immigrants are here and do need health care, would we want to be a society that would turn the other way?” Turning the other way implies lack of care or concern. This is misplaced since illegal “immigrants” are here ILLEGALLY. They are not entitled to services paid for by their victims.
As an analogy I have an anecdote to share. I once caught man trying to steal something from my yard and stopped the crime. I did call the police but did not press charges. But, if he had insisted on having my money and living in my home, I would have still felt compassion for him but not given in to his demands.
Having compassion and having good sense are not mutually exclusive. It is going to be devastating to our economy to pay for services for criminals (hence the term illegal) who do not contribute to the general welfare of our country (pay their fair share).
I say let citizens go to their own governments for assistance. We would then see who would “turn their back” on them.
An aquaintance of mine was financially devistated because of a health care problem. She was under her husband’s health care package when she discovered she had cancer. Her husband lost his job. The new health insurance company did not want to cover her for a pre-existing condition. Needless to say, they lost everything (home, retirement funds etc) and ran up credit card bills to save her. This problem spilled over to her children who did their best to help them. Where was the compassion for this upstanding, law-abiding, tax-paying United States Citizen?
Free healthcare should not be offered to illegal aliens. period. Would they really want their care givers going un paid?? I think a solution is to collect fees from these illegals – for healthcare that they request. IF the laws were more strict and understood (like they are to most Americans – that have a hard time affording healthcare) the illegals would know that the cost for them is NOT FREE! They should get FREE healthcare in THEIR OWN COUNTRIES – NOT IN OURS!
To answer your question: would we want to be a society that would turn the other way? I think we MUST become a society that turns them away, otherwise we are sowing the seeds of our own death.
F$@# them! They’re ILLEGAL repeat I L L E G A L immigrants and should shot while trying to cross the border and if they get through then deported! I work damn hard for my money and am not happy to be supporting a bunch of ignorant wetbacks!
Since we’re all “equal” americans should get all the free stuff that illegal immigrants do, i wish these health care facilities would show half as much compassion to an american LEGAL citizen that they do to illegals, its sad, so sad.
It’s bad enough that we can’t support ourselves, yet alone, support individuals that don’t even belong here in the first place. The US Government hasn’t done any good toward providing for their own people. But is ready to help illegal immigrants in a heart beat. All illegals should be deported because they are breaking US laws, and the US is letting them break the laws by not doing their job. I hope it all comes to an end soon because I don’t want to see my tax dollars support over 7 million illegals aliens. Let them go home and get serviced. Bobbie, please, Give me a break! Seems like you’re for the illegals.
Isn’t this just common sense? Ofcoarse its wrong. American citzens pay taxes which pay for goverment funded programs therefore it should be for american citzens. I pay taxes and pay for my health insurence. I’m sure if I went to another country illegaly they wouldn’t offer me FREE healthcare.This is stupid. There is nothing to debate, its wrong.
I think this is a great. Al though some people may be against that. the truth is that illigals are human too and they get sick just like every one eles. and you know what they may even wait until thier condition worsens to see a doctor just becouse they know they cant afford for the doc. to say “just take some asprin”. And for every one that is winin
“I work hard for my money” “i pay my taxes blablabla” WE ARE STILL GOING TO PAY TAXES OKAY. its not like if they kick all the illigals out we arent going to pay no more taxes. And what ever we do they are still going to keep coming. we might as well learn to live with that.
Okay, so everytime ANYONE gets sick in the WORLD, we just open our doors and invite them in? The great Christian thing to do. In that case I must stay neutral and write my term paper on the matter. My intellect tells me to disagree, and that we should use this money to clear them out. But here we are,,, Over worked, Under Paid, and Heaven Sent… What IRONY >>>
Well, I think I should have a more neutral perspective since I am neither an immigrant in the US nor a citizen…
America has worked so hard to build an image all over the world: That of a land flowing with milk and honey. That image does cost a bit (Even if it means depriving its own citizens.
Now even though this may sound mean, an illegal immigrant has broken the law and should be repatriated. And for the last comment that says it’s a great Christian thing to do, I think you’ve got it all wrong. The Bible says that whoever cannot provide first for those of his/her own household is worse than an infidel.
If America won’t give free health care to its own then it’s nothing more than hypocrisy: Trying to be to the world what you are NOT to your own. Charity (or do I say free health care) should begin at home.
Recently I had lost my job. I am looking for work now in Myrtle Beach and have applied in many places including jobs in the city of Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach as well. Unfortunately I have not had much luck in the industry I work in. A friend of mine owns a business and I am working with him but it is not steady work. I get 1 or 2 jobs a week to complete if that. My wife was not feeling well so we went to urgent care to see what was wrong and we found out she was pregnant. This was a surprise to us because both of us have had issues in the past which led doctors as well as us to believe we could not have children. So as you can see this was a blessing and now is becoming curse all at the same time because, the baby came at the wrong time. We did not have time to prepare for a newborn child so we are attempting to do so now.
The situation at hand is this: After 2 doctors visits and over 250 dollars all the hospitals have done was tell us she was 4 months pregnant, and scheduled another doctors visit for next week actually. I am sorry but that is one heck of an expensive pregnancy test if you ask me. 250 dollars and 2 doctor visits and all we got was “your wife is 4 months pregnant.” Health care in this country is more than ridiculous, it’s a Huge part in why most Americans are in debt, our doctors live high on the horse while the people putting food on their tables and gas in their Mercedes go farther in debt. Our insurance companies take our money and then won’t help people, and the guidelines are ridiculous to even be eligible for health insurance. So naturally we had to apply for Medicaid to help us with the delivery and all the doctors visits leading up to the adoption.
Unfortunately we were denied because my wife has not lived in this country for 5 years. My wife is from the Philippines, and we paid well over 5000 dollars to get her here, and had to wait over a year and a half before she was even allowed to come here at all. Then when she arrived she had a horrible interview in the port of entry in Houston, where she was degraded, yelled at, called names, and told she was a liar, as well as lying about my marital status. We did every single thing we had to do to legally get her here. She also works and pays taxes every pay, as well as social security that she will never be able to use. She is a permanent resident so she will surely be denied those benefits when the time would come for that. The problem is you have 2 people here who pay their taxes and gave our government over 5000 dollars just so we could be together to have them slap us in the face when we needed help the most. The biggest slap is the fact we have thousands of illegal Mexicans reaping the benefits of our tax dollars we pay, by our government giving them free Medicaid, and welfare checks, and food stamps. They don’t pay taxes, they never paid the outrageous fees to get permission from you to be here in the first place. Why would you waste our tax dollars on people who have evaded the rules and the laws of our county. It’s like your rewarding them for doing the wrong thing, and then people like us pay the fees, wait the time, and you slap us with a stupid 5 year rule that only applies to those who legally got their papers to be here. How backwards is that? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? How about pressing some harsher laws on those who evade our fees and laws to be here, and do not pay any taxes at all because they work under the table, and help those paying into the tax bucket that supports the free-loaders? Those people have no rights in our country, they are not citizens, they have no permanent residence, and no green card, but we are giving them free medical, free food, and free money? Who are the people who decide on this stuff? It’s like our government gets on a round table and sees how many ways they can complicate the lives of their own citizens? Maybe if the process did not make my wife cry and keep us from each other for over a year and cost us so much to do we would not be so mad.
Please understand the problem with our health system, No really understand, It’s awful easy to say our health care sucks, sit behind a desk and nod your had understandingly, but to completely understand the situation is a different story. Lets say we had the money to pay for the delivery and doctor’s visits leading to the delivery in the bank. Do you understand it would be cheaper if we flew to the Philippines, lived there for 9 months, had the baby, and applied for our newborns entry to the USA than it would be to stay here and have the baby in an American hospital? This figure includes all the costs to live there for 9 months such as food, household bills, and doctors visits leading up to the delivery. We have already paid over 250 dollars and they want us to go for another visit that we do not have the money for. So we have no choice but to not go. Please put yourself in our shoes for a minute and see exactly how you would feel. If there is anything you can do to help us it would be appreciative.
Ms Sage,
Did you take a moment to think before you wrote this article? The entire thing is a slap in the face to every natural citizen of the United States. I’m working class and I get to look at every paycheck I work for and guess what I see. I see taxes taken out to fund these “social programs” that pay for this kind of nonsense. Are you flipping the bill exclusively? If not then don’t presume to lecture me about humane culture when I can’t afford health insurance myself yet I’m billed for theirs. How dare you?
“would we want to be a society that would turn the other way?”
No, I don’t think we as a society should turn the other way. I don’t think we should turn the other way when a five year old girl with leukemia dies because she was born in this country and therefore is not eligible for free healthcare.
I don’t think we should turn the other way when a mother is taken from her family because she has developed ovarian cancer and her working class family’s insurance does not cover the charges necessary to save her life.
I don’t think we should turn the other way when a family is torn apart with debt, forced to go bankrupt because they can not afford the same healthcare offered to criminals, let alone be the ones to pay for it.
I think free healthcare is a great idea, but as Im an American citizen and do not qualify for it, how about I go down to Mexico and try my luck there, anyone think they’ll foot my bill?
Alex I’m an American,5th generation. My employer does not offer health Insurance, I have a goiter the test costs $3,000 dollars the operation who knows. We need to help the Americans millions who do not have insurance. When you have insurance you may not think of the americans that do not. Open your heart for hard working americans
I’m doing an assignment in my Political Science class, and I am interested in the issue about us , taxpayers, pretty much paying for the healthcare for immigrants, while some of us pay for medical insurance every month. Does anyone know about a bill in congress on this issue? Thanks for your help.
I am a us citizen, and hispanic, i have friends that are illegal immigrants and PAY there taxess,even if they dont have to since they dont have a social security number..they also get paid much LOWER wages cause of their status and have to strugle on an everyday basis, they cant apply for foodstamps or medicaid cause of their status… not to mention that one third of our soldiers that are in iraq are not us citizens and are hispanic… so what lets just forget about our one nation under god and that all men are created equal.. turn our head the other way so when a us citizen goes to latin america and needs medical assistance or all the youngsters that go to tijuana and get alcohol poisening cause they drank all night theyll do the same thing..
yessica, what does that have to do with anything we’re talking about? This discussion is about free emergency healthcare to illegals. In Arizona alone, nearly 40% of unpaid medical bills are from illegal aliens, causing LEGAL taxpayers to fit the bill. We’re talking about a completely seperate issue. A tourist going to mexico for spring break is a totally different discussion.
its funny how all you dumb people see every immigrant as if they were some kind of criminal. Even Reagan and former president bush saw immigrants as people and not criminals. Many of them are here to get a better future. none of u would survive in their home land. i was once illegal and worked and paid all the taxes u all do and now im 19, and am legal and nothing has changed. you make it seem like there is a huge difference. last time i checked so many of your own family members are on welfare and have been there for years without even trying to get off of it..y..cause u all depend on US money. well guess what you need to get off your butts and work as hard as immigrants do cause they do jobs u would never consider. and their kids come out hard workers. im not saying all of them but its posted everywhere that most do. I know i’ve been here since i was 5 and yea i crossed the border illegally, but i paid my dues and now im here legally and woking my butt off to make my life with my husband work. so all of u illegal immigrant haters..get a life cause last time i checked u have none cause u are all on this stupid page complaining..im here to stick up for those who spit down to u with shame
I am an RN at a local hospital. We are going under due to the overwhelming illegals coming to our clinics and ER for free care ( we are a catholic hospital and our “mission” is to help everyone) BUT, I recently had to go to the ER, I was there for all of 15 minutes, and got a boot in the butt and sent away. Oh but did I have to pay over $500 after insurance, you betcha! But the dept. I work in is being shut down due to lack of funds to employ us. So sad. Due to all of these people coming in, not paying medical bills, me, a college grad, lost her position in a beautiful newborn intensive care unit. Luckily I have bounced back and become a traveling nurse. But hey, thanks illegals, for shutting down my unit, and cause myself and about 10 others to look for other jobs, oh, and thanks for making ME pay MY 500 dollar share even though you drive a nicer car than me, just got your hair done, and won’t get off your ******* cell phone!!
What do expect from democrats? Thanks to them hardworking Americans pay for illegal wetback lazy asses. WE think it’s bad now, just wait what Brack Obama has in store for Americans……..more of our money to the illegals.
I attend college and I will be finished next summer, I did not recieve help from the government, but did try. But if I was brown, illegal, and spoke spanish I guarantee you every bit of my education would be paid for.
A quote to share.
“If you can read this thank a teacher, if you can read it in English, thank a soldier.”
author unknown.
What is wrong here. My husband and I had to take early SS retirement benetits due to our severe medical problems. Our benefits were reduced. Both of us could not qualify for Disability Benefits. Reason given by SS – my husband would be able to collect his SS benefits before they could process the Disability application (6 month waiting period) and, I could not apply because I didn’t have enough credits (worked 18 years but not in the last 10 years.) Had to leave work due to illness but, at that time this illness WAS NOT eligible for benefits. Now not eligible for benefits because I didn’t work and lost disability credits. My illness over the last 6 months has made me bedridden. Because of the high medical bills and high RX cost, (8 out of 12 drugs are brand name speciality drugs with high deductibles. Do not forget the donut hole – for once inthe Hole – we had to go to Canada for our medicine because FDA will not make our drugs into Generic drugs but– Canada does. (Note drugs from Canada are not tax deductible in US.) Also, pay premiums for Supplemental ins.,Cobra & Medicare . Over counter bandages and medicine, doctor recommended food supplements, some doctor, hospital, lab/ diagnostic test bills are not covered by ins. You ask why all this information. We are paying out approx 75-80% of our income for Medical and this is all too typicial for Senior Citizens. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ABOVE – We had to move LOST HOME, live with son, lost of financial independence, self esteem, and anger. We were hard working independent people ALL our lives. Give illegal aliens free medical care. I THINK NOT!!!. THIS IS AN INSULT!!!. These people need to be DEPORTED AND ALL BORDERS CLOSED. Our President and Legislature needs to re-think Health care for SENIOR AND ALL AMERICANS.
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This is the bottom line people…. we have millions of ILLEGAL aliens in our country. They are here illegally, and yes they work at jobs some of us would not want…but they also do NOT pay taxes, do NOT take pride in being here,do NOT care about how trashy their homes/yards look, do NOT pay for medical care, which drives so many of our citizens to go to the ER…find that it’s filled with illegals, and turn and go right back home. We pay out the butt for medical care, and are LEGALLY here. They pay NOTHING (because we pay for their care in all these taxes that are taken from our paychecks). Then they have the unmitigated gall to march into our emergency rooms, and DEMAND that they be seen immediately. This is a slap in the face to American citizens who PAY for our health care. This didn’t happen overnight…people have been saying for years, that our govt. should do so much more to protect our borders. Well…it didn’t happen and now we’re paying for it! Is there any hope for getting all these illegals deported from our country? ha! That’ll be the day. With Obama as prez, they will be given even more handouts than ever, and more rights as citizens, when they are ILLEGALS. No one is disputing the fact that they are hard-working. We all know that. It comes down to our govt. providing for their every need–do you blame them for not wanting to return to Mexico? What is in store for the future of America? Only the Lord knows that. I worry about what life will be like for my children and grandchildren.
bastards!
plesae i am trying to help a friend of mine too get health care she is an immgrations is there a way she could get free health insurance for her could you call as fast as you can on this matter at 3475995647 or 7185994669 thank you very much
I am an American citizen and newly married to a Brazilian. One thing you people need to understand. When immigrants (most of which are better people that Americans) go through the inspection process and do things right and want to be with their spouse in the USA, the way the immigration system doesn’t do their jobs properly and screws up something as simple as an address change, and all they have to say is that its “your problem” many people become illegal or out of status because of the government screw-up. This happens alot and you spend lots of money to the government and lawyers which is a designed system to bilk more and more money out of people. On one hand the government has allowed us to marry who we want, but on the other hand, they have procedures in place that take away that right. It then creates a viscous cycle of Americans sending more fees to the USCIS or Homeland Security, and creating tremendous grief for many people including American family members. So remember, if the government screws up, they are not accountable, the immigrant and citizen are penalized. The government I feel is set up to protect itself, not the rights of the people. The government is set up to be too big and too dependent upon by the people to be replaced. But the people are ultimately responsible for the government and doing something about it.
i have 3 kids and we can’t afford health insurance for them. why is it that we can’t get a better deal when we are law-abiding, tax-paying legal residents? that is so unfair! i know people that there are illegal residents and yet they get free medical coverage and they also get free WIC or food stamps just because she is pregnant with their first baby. do we have to be illegal aliens and tax-evaders to get health insurance in this country?
i have 3 kids and we can’t afford health insurance. well, join the club! why is it that we can’t get a better deal when it comes to health insurance? we pay taxes, we don’t break the law. but how come illegal aliens who don’t pay taxes get free/low cost health insurance and that’s not all – most of them even get food stamps! they don’t deserve to get what we pay for, it’s our money they’re using to make the illegal aliens live and survive for free. we pay our taxes, while they just spend it on other people who are not even supposed to be here. when will we be able to get what we paid for when they’re getting what we should be thriving in?
When I hit the right age for my parents health insurance to kick off thier plan, it was time to go looking for my own. I have a pre-existing condition, and not one company would take me. Illeagles getting care for free over a citizen like me is outragous.
It is pretty unfair that immigrant, like detained individuals, recieve free healthcare from this country while natural-born and legalized citizens recieve no free health care. Citizens should be the main priority when it comes to health care and it being affordable. The United States need to realize exactly who they are serving! This so called government who “is for the people, by the people” needs to put their citizens first and be concerned for the health of them and their families.
My daughter was born in America, but I can not afford the health care my company offers. The premium would take a big chunk from my take hom pay. But if she is sick, I have to come out of my pocket, but children born from illegals, can get the insurance or health care attention “free”. Now that’s a damn shame. Illegals can get help, and my child who was born on this soil can not.
All of you on here are screaming about how they dont pay taxes. You are wrong because i know a lot that do. It’s called a tax id number. If we don’t provide healthcare for them they could be passing things around. They are human just like us. They just want to make a better life for themselves. I am a us citizen and i pay taxes, the difference between some of yall and me is that I understand.
What makes all you think that illegals don not also pay taxes.. And what is with that term. You think that someone who was brought over by their parents as a child is a criminal? Did they steal something or kill anyone? Did they? “Illegals” may walk amongst you and you may not even know it. They are people too, who work hard for what they have. A child, brought over to this country and grows up does not deserve what your child gets. Is it their fault. So should they die of disease because of their unfortunate luck? You may all want to think more carefully about what you say. I may be an illegal, but my father receives benefits from his hard worked job to which he also pays taxes on. So don’t be so fast to judge. Also saying that any illegal is someone who hopped a fence or swan over some river, is completely ignorant, so do your research people. It is also not about compassion, it is about being civil humans with no regards to an imaginary paper that somehow tells you that you belong somewhere. We are all citizens of the world who all deserve equal treatment regardless.
I’m a pretty liberal person, and it feels strange to me to be on the conservative side of this issue. Still, I try to see both sides of an issue. On the pro-free health care side – I came across a one-car accident involving a family of illegal aliens. One of the little boys had a big gash on his forehead. I offered to take them to the hospital and they absolutely refused. They spoke no English, but I speak enough Spanish to understand why they refused to go to the hospital – they had no money to pay for it and were afraid they would be deported if they came to the attention of the authorities. And I have to admit that broke my heart. On the other hand, there are plenty of tax paying citizens who do not have the money for hospitals either, and their children have to go without proper care as well. So, I say let anyone go to a hospital without fear of deportation. BUT, make everyone pay for their treatment. When our own citizens can’t afford medical care, it is insulting to give free health care to illegal aliens, who – despite claims to the contrary – usually DO NOT pay taxes. If you pay taxes, you come to the attention of the government. If you come to the attention of the government, you’ll be deported. So, I’m not quite sure how so many people on here are claiming that illegal aliens pay taxes. I’ve done work in migrant labor camps giving free legal advice, and I have to say that not one of the people I came across paid their taxes.
Let me qualify my last post – maybe it’s just the immigrant population that I worked with that fail to pay their taxes. One sub-group can hardly represent the whole population.
A little research – http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18077009/
immigrant pay taxes when they buy anything in this country they do all the dirty work that american dont want to do such as home health aide, landscaping,maid service,etc so why should they not benefit also. there are programs for american to get but most of them is too proud to go get it so let who want it go get it.
It is our fault,American citizens! We whine and complain too much. Illegals get free health care for themselves and their “anchor babies” that they produce, hoping to outpopulate the “gringos” in this country one day.
Where are our demonstrations? Protests? If there are protests the numbers are very small and they are middle aged. Where is our mighty youth? Playing video games or posing in front of a webcam demoralizing themselves.
We have become submissive and easily intimidated.
The ethics of right and wrong don’t always stand. Might makes right! It is the law of the jungle, and the illegals realize that…
One key word. Illegal. They don’t pay taxes. They don’t pay for health care. Citizens pay taxes and we pay for health care, yet when someone is dying of cancer and has paid taxes and insurance bills all their life, suddenly the private sector or government can’t cover it? That’s bull. If they want health care, become citizens and pay taxes.
Every year there is a rally in a local town near me where immigrants and locals march together for “illegal immigrant rights.” Except they choose to leave out the word “illegal” on their big signs to give it the effect that they are actually marching for something legitimate. What I don’t understand is how they can even think about having rights for these people when by definition they are breaking the law. ILLEGAL mean that it is against the law people!! Selling Drugs = Illegal…. Murder = Illegal…. Rape = Illegal… Everyone else has to pay for their crimes yet illegal immigrants are rewarded for theirs by receiving free healthcare. It’s a bunch of BULL if you ask me.
My cousin broke his neck 4 years ago and is now disabled. He can walk and talk and function but far from normal. He can’t work too much. Not at all in the winter. His Disability is over at the end of July 09, he just found out his wife is being laid off from her job. He takes 5 different meds every day. He won’t be able to afford the meds soon. But the immigrants and illegals can get health coverage???? He was a hard working contributor to society who never missed work and paid his taxes. Our governmennt is turning its back on him. Do you think they are going to step up? What is wrong with this picture?