Left Out: Illegal Immigrants and Health Care

Left Out: Illegal Immigrants and Health Care

With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, most Americans are concerned with their private insurance or the benefits with Medicaid or CHIP. However, there is another population that was left out of the new bill almost entirely: undocumented immigrants. There is an ongoing debate as to whether illegal immigrants should be eligible for public health care benefits presented in ACA. The two viewpoints are obvious: to give illegal immigrants health insurance and allow them to reap the benefits of a public healthcare system or to not. However, the issue is not so simple. There is a large group of people whose lives will forever be affected by the decision made on the issue.

Before one can delve into the sides of the issue, one must see how the situation currently stands. Under the Affordable Care Act, only documented, legalized immigrants, like asylees or refugees, can be eligible for Medicaid and CHIP. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for Medicaid, CHIP, or buying coverage through the Marketplace. They can buy their own coverage without the Marketplace. However, this is typically more expensive, and their jobs may not include it in their benefits (“Immigrants and the Affordable Care Act”, 2013).

A major complaint of many against public health insurance for illegal immigrants is emergency Medicaid. Under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act of 1986, hospitals must provide emergency, life-saving service to those who come in regardless of citizenship status or money. If the patient does not have insurance or money to pay for medical treatment and they fulfill all of the requirements of Medicaid except citizenship, the government will pay for their healthcare (“Em...

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...ALA is in effect, and the taxpayers are paying for that health care. The cost of health care will go down if illegal immigrants are given access to public health care benefits because they will likely seek care earlier. Therefore, it simply makes more sense to give undocumented immigrants the public healthcare benefits.

In conclusion, the argument for illegal immigrant insurance is sound. Taxpayers are already paying for EMTALA, so allowing the immigrants to have access to CHIP or Medicaid will have less of an effect on the taxpayers. The undocumented immigrants are a strong presence in American society and the workforce. Their lack of insurance puts significant stress on Emergency Clinics and safety-net clinics. Looking past the research and numbers, there is a group of people that have moved their lives to be a part of this country, and they need health care.