Proposal To Limit Immigrants' Medi-Cal Benefits Spurs Criticism

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: California Healthline

Advocates say Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) proposal to limit health benefits to documented immigrants will affect access to care for the state's neediest populations, the Ventura County Star reports.

The plan is part of Schwarzenegger's proposed $1.1 billion in Medi-Cal cuts to reduce the state's $15.2 billion deficit. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program.

State officials say the state would save about $87 million by limiting health services to about 91,000 immigrants per month, many of whom are in California legally.

Under the plan, documented immigrants who came to the U.S. in the past five years would not qualify for Medi-Cal coverage of routine care or treatment for any nonemergency condition. The new limits would mean documented immigrants have the same Medi-Cal benefits as undocumented immigrants -- emergency care, prenatal care and nursing home coverage.


Read more: http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2008/6/23/Proposal-To-Limit-Immigrants-MediCal-Benefits-Spurs-Criticism.aspx?topicID=37

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oops! now the Legal immigrants, who is next? Citizens?

[McCamy Taylor]

1. THis will cost the county hospital systems more in expensive emergency room care.

It will cause more unplanned pregnancies since women will not be able to get pregnancy prevention services and the prenatal care will be covered which will also cost more for Medi-cal. Since documented immigrants are workers, it will cost industry in lost workforce hours due to illness of workers and children. Since documented immigrants are taxpayers----income taxes, SSI, sale taxes and in some cases even property taxes, they have as much right to tax payer funded health care as citizens.

This whole thing stinks---and will likely serve only to drive Latino voters even more firmly towards the Democratic Party. WTG Gov. Terminator. You are a fool.

[AlphaCentauri]

2. Soon we'll see other states adopting those measures

even if they are an attack on human rights.