Thread: Study finds immigrants' use of healthcare system lower

Supervisors vote to send Bush immigration a 'bill'
By: GIG CONAUGHTON - Staff Writer
County study says illegal immigrants cost taxpayers $101 million in 2006

SAN DIEGO -- County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to send President Bush a $101 million bill to reimburse county taxpayers for what a county-commissioned study stated illegal immigrants cost them last year.

Supervisors said they had taken similar actions before, sending "illegal immigrant" bills to the federal government in 1994 and 2001. Those bills were ignored, and were seen largely as symbolic gestures.

However, Supervisor Bill Horn, who pushed hard for the county study that was released two weeks ago -- and other supervisors, said it was time to seek reimbursement again because the federal government has not stopped illegal immigrants from crossing the border and using services that taxpayers pay for.

Armed with the study, supervisors specifically voted to enlist the help of Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach, to promote legislation that would:

# make it easier for local law enforcement officials to track illegal immigrants wanted for crimes;

# change the Medicare Modernization Act to pay local hospitals $155 million for unpaid bills from illegal immigrants;

# make the federal government pay local governments from the Social Security fund into which people pay but do not collect, often because they have worked using phony Social Security documents. Reports have estimated that illegal immigrants pay $7 billion in taxes into that fund each year.

Local governments in border states have said for years that the federal government's failure to stop illegal immigration has cost them billions of taxpayer dollars in services rendered.

The county study, which supervisors voted to pursue in May 2006, was largely based upon anecdotal information rather than solid statistics. It did not attempt to quantify potential economic benefits that illegal immigrants might provide.

Horn said he asked for the new study so the county could get a picture of what illegal immigrants cost local taxpayers.

He said Tuesday that he did not intend for the board's vote to be a symbolic gesture, even though previous "illegal immigration bills" sent by the county to the federal government in 1994 and 2001 have not been paid.

"I don't want to just grandstand, I really want the money this time," Horn said. "The bottom line is the county of San Diego's taxpayers are bearing an unfair burden for porous border. It's the federal government's job to enforce the border, and if they refuse to do it ... I think they should face the consequences of their action."

Kurt Bardella, a spokesman for Bilbray, said by telephone Tuesday that although the congressman was not currently sponsoring legislation that would address the county's request, he intended to do so. Bilbray said in a written statement Tuesday that he was "eager" to work with Horn for reimbursement.

Bilbray, who was once a San Diego County supervisor, is chairman of the immigration reform caucus, a group of more than 100 congressional representatives who favor stricter immigration enforcement legislation.

San Diego State University professor John Weeks helped compile and write the study for the county. As he wrote in the study, Weeks told supervisors Tuesday that illegal immigrants do contribute to communities in a variety of ways by spending money and providing services.

But, he said Tuesday, they were unlikely to generate much property-tax revenue that makes up the majority of the county's spending money.

"Working undocumented immigrants make an economic contribution," Weeks said. "But the issue for this board is that it is very unlikely that they put back into county coffers the amount of money that is spent providing services to them or on their behalf."

No one came forward to criticize the study at Tuesday's meeting. The American Friends Service Committee -- a Quaker human rights organization -- has said it was afraid it would promote "anti-immigrant sentiment."

Weeks said the study used interviews with county department heads to suggest that roughly 10 percent of their annual budgets were spent on services for illegal immigrants.

The study suggested that those costs amounted to $101 million in 2006, three-quarters of which was used for criminal justice costs, such as jailing and prosecuting. Remaining costs were spent on health, social services and other programs.

The study did not account for the costs of education or unpaid medical bills for illegal immigrants, although it used estimates from the Hospital Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties to come up with its figure of $155 million in unpaid medical care costs.

Other supervisors said it was time for the federal government to pay up.

"It's outrageous to say the least," Supervisor Dianne Jacob said. "Inexcusable."

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/09 ... _25_07.txt

Hospitals feel drag of illegal immigrants


Hospitals drained of resources

By Enrique Rangel
Globe-News Austin Bureau
enrique.rangel@morris.com

Editor's Note: Morris News Service examined benefits illegal immigrants provide as part of the work force and the cost of providing them services. Read Monday's Globe-News for a look at their impact on the job market.

AUSTIN - Dallas and Tarrant counties may be neighbors, but when it comes to health care for illegal immigrants, the two North Texas communities are worlds apart.

In Tarrant County, which consists mainly of Fort Worth, hospitals require foreign-born indigent patients to furnish proof of legal residence. However, at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas County, management has a de-facto don't-ask, don't-tell policy. Last year the facility spent $76 million caring for non-county residents or people believed to be illegal immigrants, hospital officials say.

However, the Parkland policy is wearing thin.

Dallas County Judge Margaret Keliher recently asked the county to sue Mexico and other countries for the care their nationals receive in Dallas.

The story of Dallas and Tarrant counties is the story of the United States, particularly in states with large immigrant populations such as Florida or states with a recent influx of foreign-born newcomers such as Georgia.

In some communities, hospital and public officials complain that uninsured illegal immigrants are burdening the health care system while for others the problem is exaggerated.

"The problem with illegal immigrants getting free health care is great," said John Stone, spokesman for Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-Georgia, a dentist and co-sponsor of a new law that requires immigrants to furnish proof of legal residence before receiving non-emergency indigent care. "No one knows for sure what the cost is, but it's high."

However, Paul Rosenberg, senior vice president of Shands HealthCare, which owns nine hospitals in Florida, sees it differently.

"I would not characterize it as a major problem, at least not in north Florida," Rosenberg said. "It may be in south Florida where there's a significantly higher immigrant population."

About 20 percent of Shands patients get free care through Medicaid - the joint federal-state program to help the poor - a percentage much higher than the industry average, Rosenberg said.

Like Tarrant County in North Texas, the Hospital District in Montgomery County, Texas, decided three years ago not to provide non-emergency health care for illegal immigrants, officials say. Montgomery County is a bedroom community in the Houston metropolitan area, which has the second-largest Hispanic population in the United States after Los Angeles.

And then there are the impoverished communities along the Texas border with Mexico. From Brownsville to El Paso, the rapidly growing number of "anchor babies" is costing hospitals millions of dollars, health officials say. "Anchor babies" are the newborns of undocumented immigrants, who use such children to become legal since anyone born in this country is automatically a citizen regardless of the parents' nationality.

"It is a major problem for us," Thalia Mu-oz, Starr County Medical Center administrator in Rio Grande City, said of the suspected illegal immigrants. "Once they come in, we have to take care of them, even though we believe they won't pay."

However, the Medical Center, like most border hospitals, doesn't ask patients whether they are here illegally, Mu-oz added.

Like most of Texas, neighboring Oklahoma has a major problem providing health care for its illegal immigrant population, despite a 3.8 percent foreign-born population, one of the smallest in the United States.

Nico Gomez, spokesman for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, said that in fiscal year 2004-05, 3,558 illegal immigrants qualified for medical care through Medicaid at a cost of $7.8 million. For fiscal year 2005-06, which ended on June 30, the cost was $9.7 million, a 24-percent increase.

"It's staggering to know the amount (of money) we provide," said state Rep. Kris Steele, a Republican who sits on the Health and Human Services Committee.

In Kansas, which has fewer residents than neighboring Oklahoma and also has a small immigrant population - despite the recent influx of Hispanic immigrants - health care has not become a hot issue, some officials and immigrant rights advocates say.

Nonetheless, thanks to Spanish-language media and word of mouth, many illegal immigrants everywhere are aware of the heated debate. And to avoid being asked for proof of legal status or from being turned down for medical care, some like Aurelio Rodriguez of Lubbock are buying health insurance or avoiding hospitals.

Rodriguez, a 46-year-old construction worker who came here illegally from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, recently bought a low-premium policy "just in case" he ever needs it.

"I don't ever want to go to the Medical Center without insurance because they will ask me if I am here illegally," Rodriguez said of the University Medical Center in Lubbock County. "And I don't want them to turn me down if I am really sick or get hurt in an accident."

Greg Bruce, corporate affairs vice president at the University Medical Center, confirmed that the hospital asks indigent patients if they are U.S. citizens, have a valid visa or hold a permanent-resident card - popularly known as the "green card."

If the answer to such questions is no, the hospital assumes the patient is here illegally and tries to qualify him or her for care through Medicaid, Bruce said. Besides, like other American hospitals, in emergency situations the Medical Center is required to treat all patients, even if they are here illegally. Fortunately for the Lubbock hospital, out of the $52 million a year that it spends on indigent care, only about $300,000 is spent on illegal immigrants.

In Dallas County

# 70 percent of women who gave birth in the first three months of 2006 were here illegally.

In Oklahoma

# 83 percent of the money spent on illegal immigrants is in maternity wards.

In Georgia

# $100-$300 million is spent each year in non-emergency care for illegal immigrants.

Health care for illegal immigrants in a nutshell

# In most communities wrestling with this issue, the biggest chunk of money is for delivering babies. In Dallas County for example, a recent survey showed that in the first three months of 2006, 70 percent of all women who gave birth were here illegally. And in Oklahoma, 83 percent of the money spent on illegal immigrants is in maternity wards.

# Although illegal immigrants do not qualify for Medicaid, federal and state government programs reimburse hospitals for emergency services.

# Despite the controversy, a recent Harvard/Columbia University study concluded that many illegal immigrants pay Medicare taxes in their wages but receive less than half the medical care U.S. citizens get.

# Georgia loses between $100 million and $300 million a year in nonemergency care for illegal immigrants.

Source: Morris News Service research

http://www.amarillo.com/stories/111906/ ... 0844.shtml


I can keep finding articles if you wish

This article is BS..

How would anyone be able to document this, since Illegals are not asked if they are illegal (and they sure don't volunteer it), give false names, ID and addresses at Hospitals.


We are given this as an excuse, over and over, on why they receive free treatment.

I am tired of folks talking out of ......both sides of their mouths on this issue.

They certainly haven't been in MY citys Emergency Room

What is amazing is most insurance policies for Americans don't cover maternity without huge riders on premiums. Ever wonder why Insurance Companies make this so difficult for us.. they are in cahoots with the hospitals for our cash flow from our hospital charges because for 8 years they have known about the illegal births.

So when it costs us $10,000 to have a baby, we are paying for some freeloading illegal, to have their new burdens to our society.


Old Governor Arnold in CA is crying out for Federal reimbursement for CA hospitals, prisons, and assistance programs, while doing nothing to stop illegals from coming in to CA. In fact he lobbies for illegals in everything he does. He won't build a big fence on his border, or shore up the border crossings they have. He looks the other way.

If the FEds pay for it, it is WE the People taxed for it, and paying for it, while WE do without the same benefits.

I am over this crap.

This article is 100% correct

Now for the rest of the story


Of course illegals use health care by the millions
and they access it through their anchor babies who are
in effect American citizens

Its just more hype and spin folks