Thread: GA. Immigration Law Already Having Affect

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GA Immigration Law Already Affecting Families

Thursday, Dec 07, 2006 - 10:28 PM

Alaina Anderson

A Georgia law designed to crack down on illegal immigrants could impact many people already getting care within the public health care system. It's called the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act.

While it doesn't take effect until July 1, 2007, it includes a measure preventing illegal immigrants from using state health services. As we first told you back in February, some local health officials feel it may do more harm than good.

"We are in the business of advancing and protecting the public's health. And the protecting side of this is very important in terms of picking up early infectious diseases that threaten the community, treating them properly, finding out who their contacts are. All of that requires a high level relationship with the patients and their families and the protection of their confidentiality," says Chatham County Health Director Dr. Douglas Skelton.

The law was meant to prevent a financial strain on the state's health care system, but if these undocumented patients can't get treatment at the health department, Dr. Skelton says their only choice is the emergency room - and that could mean big delays and higher costs for everyone.

NEWS 3 met someone who's already having to deal with the new law. She's an illegal immigrant who's lived in the United States for nearly five years. She's from Mexico and so is her husband, who she met here in America. They love their life here -- but they're here illegally -- and a health issue could send them back across the border.

Reyna Vaszquez and her husband, Louis Galarza, don't speak much English, but that hasn't stopped them from having a great life in Savannah. Louis has a good job in construction and their five-year-old daughter is in kindergarten.

A translator, Sue Martinez, helped the family explain to us why they love America. "To move forward in their lives, to work and have a little more of what everyone wants in their lives," says Martinez, translating for Reyna.

But Reyna's life hasn't been so great since she got some bad news from a doctor. "That's when they told her she had kidney disease," says Martinez.

She can't get a kidney transplant because all of her relatives are in Mexico. So Reyna gets dialysis three days a week to stay healthy -- at least until a few months ago. Doctors said they couldn't treat her anymore because of her illegal status and Georgia's new immigration law.

"They told her when she got to feeling bad again, that she should come back through the emergency room and they would treat her as an emergency," says Martinez, translating for Reyna.

But after missing just two treatments, Reyna says she almost had a heart attack. When the immigration law goes into effect next July, Reyna won't be allowed any medical treatment and without dialysis, she could die.

"What her husband is saying is that it doesn't sound fair because the people coming here from Latin America are coming here to work, not to rob or take advantage. They come here and contribute to the community and he doesn't understand why they're prohibited from getting medical care," translates Martinez for Louis.

Once the law goes into effect, Reyna and her family plan on moving to another state that doesn't have a law like Georgia's. If a similar anti-immigration law is ever enacted nationwide, their only choice is to go back to Mexico.

She can't get a kidney transplant because all of her relatives are in Mexico.

Go back to Mexico for the transplant and then remain there with your relatives.

Originally Posted by had_enuf

She can't get a kidney transplant because all of her relatives are in Mexico.

Go back to Mexico for the transplant and then remain there with your relatives.

Yes, leave tonight. And take a lot of your friends with you.

The solution does seem very simple, doesn't it?

I just love simple solutions...and what could be better than Great Advice???

I know American 'lives' that haven't been so great since coming down with an illness. Trouble is.........they're going for broke just to be able to stay alive.

What makes an ILLEGAL ALIEN have more benefits than an American in America?
To be able to make and keep their dinero while Americans' are losing their property and assets in order to cover medical costs that insurance will not?

Again, I'm confused

.

She can't get a kidney transplant because all of her relatives are in Mexico. So Reyna gets dialysis three days a week to stay healthy -- at least until a few months ago. Doctors said they couldn't treat her anymore because of her illegal status and Georgia's new immigration law.

Hmmm........so I guess we can assume Reyna wasn't paying for her weekly dialysis treatments. Oh that's right, Georgia citizens are footing the bill through higher insurance premiums and co-payments.

"What her husband is saying is that it doesn't sound fair because the people coming here from Latin America are coming here to work, not to rob or take advantage. They come here and contribute to the community and he doesn't understand why they're prohibited from getting medical care," translates Martinez for Louis.

Because medical care for the vast majority of Americans is NOT free. In fact, many Americans go broke, lose their homes and everything they have trying to pay for medical care for loved ones if they do not have health insurance. Someone has to pay, so why does this family think they should get this for free? They are getting it for free in the emergency room! And the open borders/amnesty advocates keep telling us, and this gentleman reiterates, that those here illegally are not here to take, take, take? Sorry, but all evidence is to the contrary.

Hats off to Georgia.

So an Illegal (with allegience to mexico) is in line for a transplant, ahead of an American citizen(s)

So what's next, Senator Cornyn? You want illegals to get priority for heart transplants, bone marrow transplants, and other organ transplants? What if an American child, for example, is about to die without a bone marrow transplant, Senator McCain? You want the illegal to have priority, and let an American citizen cancer patient DIE?

Not even gonna go there with Senator Kennedy - all life is cheap, right senator?

Just 2 small questions....

Does the organ doner get to know that his kidney will go to an illegal? Does a deceased donor's family get to know that their loved one's heart will go to an illegal?