Thread: Group: Illegal Immigrants Should Have Health Care Access

Group: Illegal Immigrants Should Have Health Care Access

American College Of Physicians Say Policy On Immigration, Health Care Should Be Adjusted

POSTED: 3:43 pm PDT April 7, 2011
UPDATED: 3:45 pm PDT April 7, 2011

SAN DIEGO -- A medical organization meeting in San Diego has stepped into the immigration reform debate, asserting that illegal immigrants should have access to health care so they don't spread dangerous diseases to others.

"Access to care for immigrants is a public health issue that should be of concern to all of us," said Dr. J. Fred Ralston, the president of the American College of Physicians, holding its Internal Medicine 2011 meeting at the San Diego Convention Center.

"Take the case of immigrants with tuberculosis -- under the current system they may be afraid that going to a hospital to seek treatment would place them at risk for deportation," Ralston said. "If they decide to delay care because of this fear, it could increase the number of people exposed to the disease exponentially."

The ACP called for a national policy on immigration and health care that:
•protects taxpayers for subsidizing health care insurance for illegal immigrants, but allows such migrants to purchase coverage
•gives U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants the same access to health care as other children
•federal government support for organizations providing uncompensated care
•acknowledgement of the risk of undocumented migrants avoiding health care for fear of apprehension
•understanding of a physician's ethical requirement to treat sick patients regardless of their legal status
•policies that do not foster discrimination based on immigrant status for health care purposes

The doctors also acknowledged that the United States needed to control its borders, differentiate between legal residents and those who do not follow the rules, and that returning large numbers of illegal immigrants to their former countries would have public health consequences.
"Any national immigration policy will need to balance the legitimate needs and concerns to control our borders and to equitably differentiate in publicly supported services for those who fully comply with immigration laws and those who do not," Ralston said. "However, access to health care for immigrants is crucial to the overall population of the U.S. We all have a vested interest in ensuring that all residents have access to necessary care."

http://www.10news.com/news/27471304/detail.html

"Exactly when did they stop having healthcare?"
Fertility drugs for illegal alien woman! Come on!

They have their healthcare either through their stolen jobs or anchor babies. Now where's mine???

if they want health care for illegal immgrants then there's NOTHING stopping those doctors from getting together and giving that health care out of their own pockets ....

what they really want is for we the american public to continue to pay for their health care so that the doctors can mantain their lofty paychecks ..

They have the same access as legal residents do, the problem is they don't want to pay for any of it. Tough noogies.

If they have TB or any other communicable disease, then send them back to their home countries for care asap. After all, wasn't that what we did with immigrants who came through Ellis Island? We have enough of our own to take care of.

what about American health care access
why we don't count ? we pay for all this BS
they did not come to ellis Island did they No ?
No Amnesty
when are you congress going to wake the hell up . you work for the American . &
don't for get it no amnesty

Anyone who wants illegal aliens to have health care should take out their checkbook and write a check to cover the cost.

No check.
No health care.

They already get the best treatment our money can buy at little or no cost to them! What more do these ungrateful invaders want!

We already pay for their healthcare and, as a result, many of us are unable to pay our own healthcare bills.

There is currently nothing that prohibits illegals from purchasing their own health insurance. The fact is that they chose not to, so that they can send money home to their families in their home countries. The same reason they don't purchase auto insurance.

Originally Posted by ReggieMay

We already pay for their healthcare and, as a result, many of us are unable to pay our own healthcare bills.

There is currently nothing that prohibits illegals from purchasing their own health insurance. The fact is that they chose not to, so that they can send money home to their families in their home countries. The same reason they don't purchase auto insurance.

Excellent point RM! Why don't they use some of that 25 BILLION remittance money they send to mexico each year and buy health insurance? The reason they don't is because there's no need to when they get everything they need here in the way of FREE health care, while millions of Americans go without.