Undocumented workers and their children don't figure into President Barack Obama's signature health overhaul. Safety-net programs such as Medicaid are generally off-limits.
And undocumented immigrants will not be allowed to buy health coverage -- even at full cost with their own funds -- through exchanges, the online insurance retail markets set to open in 2014.
Nothing bars immigrants from purchasing insurance on the open market. About 40 percent of the country's noncitizens (lawful residents and undocumented immigrants) get insurance this way now, according to a 2009 report by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
But the exchanges are set to become the primary path to coverage for people whose employers don't offer insurance.
Noncitizens are more likely to work in jobs and industries that don't offer coverage. They are also far more likely to be uninsured.
And come 2014, when health coverage becomes mandatory, undocumented immigrants are expected to make up the lion's share of those who remain uninsured.
Low-income advocates say this could have serious public-health consequences for cities such as Los Angeles, where immigrants are almost as numerous as those who are native born.
"Whether they're here legally or not, do we really want to discourage them from paying for health care?" asks Lincoln Nehring, a health-policy analyst at Voices for Utah Children.
The new health law, however, diverts more funding to federal charitable clinics, which cater to undocumented immigrants. That, coupled with a projected drop in the uninsured, could free them to serve more of those in need.
"We see all uninsured. All we want to know is, do they live in community we serve and do they qualify as low income?" said Alan Pruhs, associate director of the Association for Utah Community Health.
And these clinics do it on the cheap.
"We can treat a patient three times a year for about $500, whereas one visit to the ER back in 2006 was more than $800," Pruhs said. "Having access to primary care keeps patients' chronic diseases controlled and costs in check -- you know, that hidden tax on all our insurance premiums."
The payoff is highest for pregnancies.
"We save the system a lot of money by providing good prenatal care and preventing moms from showing up at the ER and delivering a baby with serious complications. A baby in intensive care can be a million-dollar baby."
Slabside posted at 4:20 pm on Wed, Jan 12, 2011.
"And undocumented immigrants will not be allowed to buy health coverage -- even at full cost with their own funds" THEY DON'T NEED HEALTH COVERAGE...THEY SHOW UP AT THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND GET TREATED AT TAXPAYER'S EXSPENSE![thumbdown]
DB1404 posted at 4:47 pm on Wed, Jan 12, 2011.
The U.S. should be sending Mexico a monthly bill for all the services provided to Mexican citizens at American taxpayer expense. It should also cover the nice comfortable airplane ride that ICE gives the illegals to take them back to Mexico where they immediately start heading back for our borders instead of, heaven forbid, trying to clean up the corruption in their own country. They bring that across the border as a "gift" to the citizens of America.
rrjenn posted at 7:56 pm on Wed, Jan 12, 2011.
You know DB, when they give these criminals that airplane ride back to Mexico, they could save some fuel expense by just tossing them out the plane instead of landing, and they wouldn't have to worry about them returning to again break our laws. I'm sure that option will be supported by those who think our politicians should be more concerned with budget cutting and those who want all our laws upheld.
Richka posted at 8:15 pm on Wed, Jan 12, 2011.
Who are they kidding? Illegals haven't paid for health care and insurance so far. What makes these idiots think that this will change?
I agree with DB1404 and Slabside.... It should be Mexico's responsibility to pay for their citizens health care. It should also be their responsibility to monitor their side of the border and intercept these drug loads before they make it across along with the "poor, hard working" illegals that bring these drugs in to our country. Mexico needs to be a partner in stopping illegal drugs and border jumpers. I really feel for these "poor people" that can afford to pay a smuggler anywhere from $1,500 to $3,500. That's quite a bit of change in Mexico and would feed their families for a long time. Nobody can be so naive to think that they don't have other reasons to invade us. The writing is on the wall folks.
samkat posted at 3:45 pm on Sat, Jan 29, 2011.
It is a shame the media does not refer to them as illegal aliens as opposed to undocumented workers. Further, it is a travesty that the feds do not actively look for them and boot them out of jobs Americans will do if given the opportunity. Make it difficult to impossible for employers to hire illegals and the jobs will be opened for legal citizens and residents.