Thread: Bill would prohibit Health Dept. from serving illegal immigr

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Bill would prohibit Health Dept. from serving illegal immigrants
By Kathy McCormack, Associated Press Writer | January 20, 2006

CONCORD, N.H. --A group of House Republicans advocating immigration reforms has proposed a new responsibility for the state's Health and Human Services Department: prohibiting services to illegal immigrants, except for emergency medical care.

The purpose of the bill is to ensure "that no illegal immigrants are receiving benefits of any sort with money paid for by New Hampshire taxpayers," said Rep. David Buhlman of Hudson.

A concern of Health and Human Services officials, however, is that many of its services are provided through a combination of state and federal funds and that federal regulations require that the programs be administered, spokesman Greg Moore said.

For example, Moore said, undocumented immigrants awaiting deportation hearings are eligible for medical services.

The bill creates a situation where the department commissioner's duty is being directed to follow rules that are contrary to federal regulations, Moore testified. The state wants to avoid that conflict, he said.

Moore said under the state's Medicaid program, the department estimated that it spent about $244,000 over the last several years on non-U.S. citizens seeking such services, but that amount covered other groups besides undocumented workers.

As part of its screening process, the department is required by federal law to ask participants if they are a U.S. citizen and show identification, Moore said. He said a lot of hospitals pick up the cost of caring for undocumented immigrants, but that there are circumstances under which providers can be compensated.

Sponsors of the bill were asked what doctors were supposed to do if they suspect they are treating an illegal immigrant in the emergency room.

"Give him the medication and call ICE," Buhlman said, referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Some people were troubled by that. "Do we want already overworked service providers to be immigration agents?" asked Linda Garrish Thomas, a nurse who is with the New Hampshire Citizens Alliance. She also asked when hospital workers would ask for a person's documents -- and when would they know it was time to ask for them.

"It concerns me that this would put a whole new reporting requirement on a number of professionals," said committee member James MacKay, R-Concord.

Rep. Lee Slocum, R-Amherst, one of the bill's sponsors, said he had some questions about some of the issues brought up by the bill, such as security, but, "we need to be concerned about immigration not just because of terrorism ... but also, I think, because many of us are concerned that our culture, our society, just cannot cope and assimilate such an enormous amount of immigrants," he said.

Martha Yager, housing and community development coordinator of American Friends Service Committee's New Hampshire chapter, said she was concerned about the unintended consequences of the bill, such as creating a climate of fear about a person's immigration status, which could keep someone from seeking care.

"The racial undertones of this bill seriously concern me," she said. "I really doubt whether a person who has a French-Canadian or Irish accent is going to be treated with the same suspicion as someone with dark skin," and yet in this region, undocumented Irish immigrants have been the dominant portion of the illegal immigrant population in the past, she said.

Buhlman countered: "There is utterly no racism involved in any of these bills."

Some people were troubled by that. "Do we want already overworked service providers to be immigration agents?" asked Linda Garrish Thomas, a nurse who is with the New Hampshire Citizens Alliance. She also asked when hospital workers would ask for a person's documents -- and when would they know it was time to ask for them.

What's wrong with asking like I'm asked? Before services are rendered!

Government will argue, "Ohhh noooooo!, it cost too much to verify their citizenship!" Ahem, cough, cough! 10 seconds to look at an ID? Cough, cough. Recommendation (you already know what to do), take it to other states' legislatures.

Then the ACLU will "overturn" all this, and "Ohhh booo hooo, we're mistreating our poor 'undocumented immigrants.'"

Reality: While our future H-5B visa holders are lined up at emegency rooms, Americans are lined up in the unemployment lines.

Recommendation: Let 'em line up at Walmart for their medical care, after all, Walmart loves illegal aliens.

So then what's gonna happen? The illegal aliens, who are represented by the powerful legal team at http://www.immigrationportal.com/ will take it to the Supreme Court and you know better than I do what will happen next.

So, what can we do then? Go out and buy preparation H while we still can. Hey, look, my attitude sux this morning, I'm trying really hard to be polite.

Coto