Thread: Expansion of health care for immigrant kids urged

Expansion of health care for immigrant kids urged
By April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News
June 15, 2007

An advocacy group's collection of stories about gaps in health care for immigrant children features one told by Maria Zubia, of Commerce City.

A health care worker, Zubia recounted what happened to the 15-year-old son of an immigrant mother.

The teen, who suffered from cerebral palsy, was removed from Medicaid shortly after Congress passed a law in 1996 requiring immigrant children to be in the country lawfully at least five years to receive health care benefits, she said.

"By the time he was eligible for coverage, he had already passed the point where he could benefit from therapies that help cerebral palsy patients with movement and speech," she said.

Zubia, who works at Community Health Services of Colorado, a school-based children's health clinic, is featured in a report titled Bar to a Healthy Future: Stories of Immigrant Children Left Behind. It was compiled by the Colorado Progressive Coalition, a watchdog group, and 16 other organizations from across the country.

The coalition and other groups Thursday called on the state's congressional delegation to support expanding health care and ending the five-year rule for uninsured immigrant children and pregnant mothers.

It comes as Congress debates a bill to reauthorize the State Children Health Insurance Program, SCHIP for short, which covers low-income children and pregnant women.

State Sen. David Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, argues that people who just arrive in the country should not rely on taxpayers to pay for their health care needs.

"There are U.S. citizens who can't get certain welfare benefits and yet they want to lift the ban for people newly coming into our country," he said.

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, is a key broker in the legislation and is pushing an amendment to expand health care coverage for thousands of uninsured immigrant children and pregnant women. She argues that many seek emergency care at public hospitals, costing taxpayers far more than simply providing preventive care.

"If we expand it to cover the children of the working poor, it would be more cost effective. It would also be more humane," DeGette said.

Congress allocated $5.65 billion for SCHIP for fiscal year 2007. DeGette is among those in Congress who want to increase the program by $50 billion.

What is SCHIP?

• A federally funded health care plan for low-to-moderate income children and pregnant woman.

• Immigrant children and pregnant women must be in the U.S. at least five years to qualify under federal law.

• For fiscal 2006-07, the state earmarked $93.3 million for the program.

• As of April 30, the program covered 56,216 children and 1,361 pregnant women.Source: Colorado Department Of Health Care Policy And Financing

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/l ... %2C00.html

Any child, American or illegal is cut off
from Medicaid at a certain age. EVERY CHILD THAT HAS
CEREBAL PALSEY IS CUT OFF. The monies for these poor
children has been cut off for years now, and not just for
children of illegals. The age for CP children has been lowering
now for awhile.

AND another thing....if they expand the program for
illegals........they better darn straight do it for LEGAL
AMERICANS WITH CEREBAL PALSEY.

If you can not take care of them, don't have them!

Thank you Dixie
Exactly how I feel. And I mean it. There such a thing
as testing at very early stage pregnancy....HELLO....is
anybody listening? And sorry, but it is not cruel to abort
for this kind of disease. It is horrible and cruel to the mother
(because most and I mean most, fathers leave because "they
can not take it") and the child. Some keep mental acuity and others
do not.

BIRTH CONTROL FOLKS, AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. EDUCATION.

What makes me mad is Mexico should be paying for their own citizens, it should not be the duty of U.S. citizens to care for anyone except U.S. citizens. Bush and these liberals must think the money for all of this stuff is grown somewhere around the white house and capitol building on TREES. HEEELLLOOO, it is WE THE PEOPLE who re paying!!!!
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All you LOOKIE LOU"S out there in the backround yes you! COME ON GET INVOLVED!! If you have a question or need help just ask! one of these wonderful ALIPAC members will get back to you!! AND A BIG WELCOME!!
"RED ALERT"
We need a flood of 'No compromise" calls and e-mails into these Senate offices fast! Bush is bribing Republican TO PUSH S1348. Come on everyone time is crucial call all the senators not just your own.
LETS ROLL!! you are the new patriots!

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And they wonder why we want them ALL to leave!!!

Last week, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the UCLA Medical Center where an $890M state of the art Children's Hospital was opened here in Westwood, CA. The facility is unparalled anywhere in the country. Guess what my first thought was...I leave it to your imagination. I'll just say that Mexican children in L.A. outnumber non-Mexican children by about 4 to 1....I can only hope that our children don't have to go to the back of the line.