THE HILL
 

Senators reject five-year wait for immigrant healthcare

By Jeffrey Young - 10/01/09 08:19 PM ET

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee defeated a Republican amendment to a healthcare bill that would require legal immigrants to wait five years before accessing federal health benefits.

Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) proposed the amendment, arguing that instituting such a limit would discourage people from coming to the United States to access government programs.

But Democrats argued that a five-year waiting period would be unfair to immigrants legally residing in the United States and paying taxes. Moreover, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) argued, it would run counter to the bill's requirement that nearly everyone obtain health insurance or face a financial penalty. "This amendment sets up a Catch 22 for legal immigrants," Menendez said.

Under current law, legal immigrants must wait five years before they can receive Medicaid benefits. Earlier this year, Congress passed legislation lifting that restriction for the Children's Health Insurance Program.

The Baucus bill would prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving tax credits for health insurance and from buying plans on the health insurance exchange.

On Wednesday, the Finance Committee voted down an amendment sponsored by ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) that would have required photo identification for health benefits applicants. The bill already requires people to verify their names, places of birth and Social Security numbers.

Source:
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/61295--senators-reject-five-year-wait-for-immigrant-healthcare

Comments (7)

I believe that if a person is living here, legally, in the united states and paying taxes then and only then should they be able to recieve Medicaid benifits. I believe that if we would stop allowing illegal residents to recieve these benifits as well as stop allowing them to work here illegally, we may find more people who are in need of jobs, with jobs. I also never understood why there is a business clause allowing immigrants that start a business here, not to have to pay taxes for what is it..10years. I once worked at the same place with a fellow from China, I believe, who owned a dry cleaning business…some of the other people that also worked there said they saw his check and their were no federal taxes taken out of it…The job was a steel manufacturing plant, since of course, gone under…but I believe that if you work here, you pay here!I am american born of a lower middle class family. I went to college, on grants from the government and a work tuition plan. I have worked since I was 12years old..of course I just delivered papers then…but I have paid taxes since I was 16…I have taken care of myself and my children..my husband and I have insurance but still can barely afford our copays or our portion of the bills after the insurance pays their portion…and now their wanting to make it a crime to not have healthcare…WHAAAAT! Good God…I get aprox 3/5th's of my check now…and my money…that I have worked for to take care of myself and my family…is not mine! It goes to the government programs that are overburdened by people who either don't work, work for under the table wages or are here illegally…SO YES…they should have to show photo ID…because Jose Valdez, Jean Nate' or Zhang Chan are commen names..but a face…usually doesn't lie!BY Vella Meador on 10/01/2009 at 22:07
The taxpayer will cover the cost of health care for legal or illegal immigrants, just as we do now, because hospitals must treat ill or injured human beings who walk through the door. I really don't understand what all the hubub is about since we're already paying for their injuries and illnesses.BY Allen on 10/01/2009 at 23:19
Not clear on the logic of attempting to exclude millions from any and all healthcare just as we are gearing up for a flu pandemic.BY Tom  on 10/02/2009 at 00:00
Legal immigrants pay taxes (state and federal) from day one. Therefore they fund our governement programs as much as the rest of Americans do and should be able to receive the same benefits. If the Republicans do not want legal immigrants to have access to government programs then perhaps they should also introduce legislation that does not require legal immigrants to pay any taxes for 5 years. They can not have it both ways - tax those legally present in the US and on the other hand deny them benefits.BY Anna on 10/02/2009 at 01:33
With unemployment at a 26 year high, the New York Times has revealed that immigration authorities at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have undertaken preparations for issuing visas to 11-18 millions (?) My guess over 20 million illegal aliens who would be granted—BLANKET AMNESTY—if Congress is—able—to pass immigration reform legislation. Now is the time to remind your Senators and Representatives at 202-224-3121, that we demand they do NOT enroll on to this ill conceived abomination. Into our country at least a million law abiding newcomers come annually, clutching their entry visas; many waiting for years for a chance at the American dream. But the thrall of lobotomized Democrats are in for a hard lesson, including some Republican business enthusiasts, who think it's—going to be a simple solution approving this financial calamity. This illegal alien mess has been methodically created by both parties for decades. But monumental amounts of the US population do not agree with this outcome. LaRaza, a radical anti-Sovereignty organization, will transform the US into a third world dumping ground yet?All we need is mandatory E-Verify to remove from every honest business, workers who came here illegally; those who don't will suffer severe penalties. This is a murky back-door way for hard-line Liberal Democrats to sneak past all verification measures, which would approve a path to citizenship for lawbreakers thus giving them access to—YOUR—health care? All Americans GOOGLE—NUMBERSUS A, to uncover the deceitful way they plan to cheat all legal workers and citizens? America is already on the road to irreversible OVERPOPULATION. Do all the people out their who are suffering from a compassion syndrome, believe—ALL—Americans want to pay even higher taxes to support corporate welfare, for the millions they have already hired? I don't think so?This is one of the cloaked agendas of The Council of Foreign Relations to intensify the unfettered inflow of destitute peoples into North America. We already spend more money across the globe, than anyone else? Yet the United Nations is never satisfied. We already have a negative-dollar free trade treaty, which has seen the disappearance of our manufacturing industries. To me Globalism and internationalis m are dirty words, and when Americans open their eyes it might be too late? Our country is being emasculated by the illegal immigration and the financial support poured out by unaware taxpayers. America is like the Greek god "Atlas" supporting the world and its issues? That is exactly what we are doing—SUPPORTIN G THE WORLD? For the record 15 Democrats are already discussing your fate, as they strife to undermine immigration enforcement amendment.1. To permanently reauthorize E-Verify? 2. To complete the 700 miles of border fencing? 3. To continue and not rescind the No-match-letter program, that HS Napolitano has closed down. 4. Grassley’s amendment to allow all businesses that use E-Verify to run all of their current employees through the E-Verify system. Go see who the traitors are to our protection of the border at NUMBERSUSA.Do you know what the state of our highways or underground utilities? Each state has 30 year underground causeways of irreparable water and sewage pipes that our government has ignored. Again I say watch "The Crumbling of America" on the History channel. Each year our bridges and dams are deteriorating, so they do hasty repairs, but many are seeing deployable erosion that cannot be fixed, because the state has not enough money? Yet the Democrats want to cause an avalanche of impoverished people, who will want to bring in even more family members. Who’s going to recompense for them? Then even more will break through the fence, enter as a tourist or slip into America via the Caribbean? The onslaught will never end and our reservoir of cash is finally exhausted.I have a hard time paying my taxes, without paying more for the impecunious, uneducated who slip into our sovereign country bring the criminals, the handicapped and elderly immigrants. Who pays for my family and kids, the house payment, health care and car? NOT THE BLOODY TRAITORS IN WASHINGTON ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE WHO KEEP PILING ON HIDDEN TAXES TO SUBSIDIZE ILLEGAL FOREIGNERS AND FAMILIES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. I'LL EVEN GO FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SKILLED JOBS AND SOMETHING TO OFFER, BUT NOT FOR JUST ANYBODY WHO TAXPAYERS HAVE TO SUPPORT? Learn more about corruption at JUDICIAL WATCH. Learn about POPULATION GROWTH at CAPSWEB.BY Brittanicus on 10/02/2009 at 20:50
Finding out facts in this case will help many people to understand immigration and possibly the immigrants in question. I have immigrants in my family, and I have not yet seen them being given a "clause" to avoid taxes while starting their own business. In fact, they do everything - from paying income taxes, property taxes, paying mortgages, to purchasing their own insurance or paying for their own doctor visits. Whatever you see advertised on the news, does not necessarily mean that it applies to everyone and that there are no "hoops" to go trough. Most of the time, it takes too much effort to try to receive "benefits" that immigrants get for opening businesses (I personally have never heard of). All I know, is that immigrants are having just as much of a difficult time (if not more difficult) as Americans in this day in age. Many immigrants who do have businesses, hire Americans. America is a country of immigrants, what we need to do is to determine the good and separate the bad. I do believe that immigrants must prove themselves and have proof of being of good moral character, pay taxes just as everyone else does - to be equal. In fact, I believe that The DHS requires more "morality" from their applicants than from certain US citizens alone.I can bet you, in certain circumstances, that you would not be capable of differentiating an immigrant from an American.I do believe that permanent residents should not wait 5 years in order to receive assistance from the government in regards to the healthcare reform.In regards to taxpayers, I must remind all of you of the fact that we are supporting our own on welfare that have never been diagnosed with any health issues. I think this would anger me more than anything else, because they are citizens, and most do not need the taxpayers money.In fact, I had a teenager work for me, who's family was on welfare, disregarding the fact that there was absolutely nothing wrong with them. They received $10,000 for food alone… and still could not pay their electric bill (they lived in a trailer). At the end, the kid dropped out without even telling us that he will not be coming to work anymore.It was a disappointment.BY Joanne on 10/15/2009 at 00:14
One more thing I did forget to mention… illegal immigrants also pay taxes. Tax payer ID BY Joanne on 10/15/2009 at 00:20

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