Thread: Reimbursement for illegal immigrant births frustrates local

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Reimbursement for illegal immigrant births frustrates local doctor

January 18, 2007

By CATHARYN CAMPBELL
6 News Reporter

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- When illegal immigrants have babies in Tennessee, federal law requires doctors to treat them because labor is considered an emergency.

The law also requires TennCare to reimburse hospitals for the emergency care they provide to people here illegally who would qualify for Medicaid as a U.S. citizen.

Dr. Heather Moss, 35, works as an OBGYN. She has a private practice and also delivers babies twice a month at St. Mary's Hospital.

Moss is dealing with a problem of her own. Her individual health insurance plan doesn't cover maternity expenses because she is not married.

"I feel like I'm getting discriminated against because I choose to be single. Maybe I don't want to get married and maybe I want to have a baby."

Moss is even more frustrated because some of her tax money is paying for illegal immigrants to give birth and she is delivering their babies.

6 News found TennCare pays for approximately 60 immigrants a month. Most of those are for mothers in labor. That adds up to a cost of about $1.7 million, an average of nearly $15 million a year.

"That $15 million could have been used to help legally established working poor in the state of Tennessee."

She pays $450 a month for insurance. Switching plans or changing insurance companies would cost her several hundred dollars more each month.

She says the cost of an uncomplicated delivery costs about $10,000 without insurance coverage.

"I'm frustrated that someone can come here illegally and basically benefit from our welfare system. A system that was set up to help the poor citizens of the state of Tennessee."

Moss plans to contact legislators in Washington, asking them to change the law.







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We here and can sympathize Dr. Moss!

They should not be on public assistance. Message to all illegal women: If you get pregnant go back to your homeland!!

Hers is a common story, those who can pay pay for those who can't. Is that the form of government we have?

My OBGYN is also disgusted with illegals coming over here and popping out babies. He said that the majority of the illegals having babies are not married. They are having babies so they can attach themselves to America and the welfare system. They are conning America and our government is allowing it.

I don't know about the rest of you, but this may very well be the first medical doctor of heard complain about anchor babies. That's a very good thing!