http://www.avpress.com/n/13/0113_s12.hts -



Medi-Cal funds 100,000 illegal births
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Saturday, January 13, 2007.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The intractable problems caused by illegal immigration consist of many facets.
California taxpayers are hit hard, giving up a substantial part of their earnings to fund government programs that provide services to undocumented people who brazenly cross the borders into our tarnished Golden State.

The state Medi-Cal program is now paying for the delivery of about 100,000 children born to illegal immigrants each year.

Such births and related expenses account for more than $400 million of the nearly $1 billion Medi-Cal spends annually on health care for undocumented people, covering everything from pregnancy tests to postpartum checkups.

The fact that children born here have a U.S. citizenship "birthright" angers anti-illegal immigration groups.

They say such largesse provides an incentive for illegals to invade our state.

In Los Angeles County's public and private hospitals, undocumented women accounted for 41,240 Medi-Cal births in 2004. That accounting came to about half the deliveries covered by the public program.

In the four county-run hospitals alone, undocumented women and their newborns will receive more than $20 million in delivery, recovery, nursery and neonatal intensive care unit services this year.

Prenatal care is one of the most controversial aspects of providing health care to illegal immigrants.

While labor and delivery long have been considered emergencies and presumably are entitled to some federal reimbursement, federal officials often have balked at covering prenatal care.

Generally, the state and federal governments share the cost of Medicaid programs, called Medi-Cal in this state.

Those who support such coverage say it's cheaper to pay for prenatal care than risk complications that could cost the government immense medical bills.

Illegal immigration is one of the loudest discussion topics among radio talk-show hosts, government officials and millions and millions of U.S. citizens, many of whom entered the country legally and gained their citizenship through lawful channels.

Despite all the continuing outraged conversations, virtually nothing is being done to stem this tide of newcomers sneaking into the United States and raiding our coffers with impunity.