Thread: Legal immigrants fight proposed cuts in Medi-Cal, aid to eld

Legal immigrants fight proposed cuts in Medi-Cal, aid to elderly
By Susan Ferriss - sferriss@sacbee.co
Published 12:00 am PDT Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Hundreds of legal immigrants, many elderly, visited California legislators' offices Monday to question the wisdom of cutting thousands of them from preventive health programs and eliminating cash aid for the oldest and most frail.

To help slice his way to $9.1 billion in budget savings, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed $86.7 million in cuts to Medi-Cal for legal immigrants who have been here with green cards less than five years.

Another proposal is to eliminate monthly cash aid of about $860 for individuals and $1,524 for couples to 10,300 legal immigrants.

Former Gov. Pete Wilson and other state leaders decided to step in and assist the elderly legal immigrants after Congress made them ineligible for federal aid in 1996.

The costs of these targeted programs is so small by comparison that cutting them "is not even going to make a dent in the budget," said Tanya Broder, public policy analyst at the National Immigration Law Center, one of the groups sponsoring Monday's "Immigrant Day" at the Capitol.

"For individual legal immigrants," Broder added, being denied this help "could mean life or death."

H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the Department of Finance, said the proposed cuts are "difficult but necessary decisions" for the state, as it struggles with a massive deficit.

Broder questioned how these particular cuts would save money if more costly emergency-care services escalate because people are barred from preventive care.

Lili Man, a Chinese immigrant, is one who would lose preventive Medi-Cal care.

After legally immigrating in 2004 with her husband's sponsorship, she went through a family crisis and separated from her husband.

She is trying to build her life as a single mother with two children, one a 20-month-old with developmental problems.

Under the changes, Man, 34, would qualify for limited breast or cervical cancer treatment, but not for screenings or care to prevent or detect any illnesses.

She would receive the same benefits as undocumented immigrants.

A translator for Man, who lives in Oakland, said the immigrant wants to be independent, but needs time.

"This mom doesn't want to keep getting help from the government. She is learning English. It is only for now," the translator said.

Man can't become a U.S. citizen because she hasn't had a green card for a minimum of seven years.

Another Oakland resident, Te Mi Ly – a Vietnamese of Chinese background – is 75 and has high blood pressure and bone problems. She and her husband would be cut from state cash aid that helps them buy food and pay for other expenses.

She emigrated legally with her husband in 1994 through family ties.

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/951670.html

Ok...when my parents came here(legally)..they were sponsered by their brothers/sisters....and these brothers/sisters...GUARANTEED that my parents would not go "on the dole",,,these brothers/sisters were financially responsible for them.....so why are these people "on the dole"....why are the sponsors NOT responsible for them??????????