Wednesday, August 12, 2009

What about immigration?

Hispanics watching health care debate closely
Excerpts from article
By JULIANA BARBASSA (AP) – 1 day ago (Aug 11,2009)

OAKLAND, Calif. — Perched at the edge of an exam table, Delmira
Maravilla is anxious for a check-up — and for a timeline on the
president's promise of health care for all Americans. (mother of 9
without health insurance)

Without immigration reform and a path to citizenship, millions could be
left out of the system. About 59 percent of the 11.9 million
undocumented immigrants living in the United States have no health
insurance, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.

".. we're so close to having health care reform. We'd be working
against ourselves to let immigration issues stall the process."

Jennifer Ng'andu, deputy director of the National Council of La Raza's
Health Policy Project, believes that any plan which doesn't include
undocumented immigrants won't last. They make up about 15 percent
of the nation's approximately 47 million uninsured.

"If we don't talk about integrating communities that have been
traditionally shut out, we're going to be talking about health care
reform again in 15 years," said Ng'andu, who has been talking to
legislators and to health care advocates on their behalf.

On the other hand...

To proponents of greater immigration controls, allowing illegal
immigrants to benefit from federally subsidized health care and
insurance would go against enforcement goals by legitimizing their
presence.

"They would have no incentives to leave," said Mark Krikorian, of the
Center for Immigration Studies.

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