Introduction
In many European countries health care services is free despite the residency status of the person receiving care. Unfortunately in America, healthcare is not free unless you are financially unstable, and services are provided either through the government run programs (Medicare and Medicaid) and it is based on your residency status. Even though the government is currently trying to develop a plan which enables a majority of Americans to receive care, this plan does not include illegal immigrants. Therefore illegal immigrants have to care for themselves, which is having a negative impact on the American economy as the government still responsible for the care they receive. There is no definite solution to the problem but the government implement policy to regulate the expenditure in healthcare cost for immigrants.
Background
America has always been considered the melting pot of the world, as immigrants tend to flock here to seek better opportunities that are not available in their native country. Early Immigration to America dated from the 1600’s as Europeans began to settle in the country, and later on Africans were brought in as slaves. When slavery was abolished in 1860, the population of immigrants in America increased considerably. Some years later, around 1892 and 1924, the presence of European settlers at Ellis Island to seek opportunities was renowned and their adoption for the country helped establish the America we live in today. However, the increase in migration was feared to have a negative impact on the economy of the country and to control it; laws were created to restrict and manage the arrival of foreigners on American soil. Regardless of the law, immigrants were still motivated to move to the land o...
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... of immigrants but it is current unable to sustain the stream of new immigrants entering the country illegally. Allowing preventative care for illegal immigrants will reduce the cost spend from the government that will benefit them ultimately; nevertheless pricing people at a higher cost with a lower income may not sound as practical to reduce cost of care spend for illegal immigrants. Additionally, as much as inhuman it may sounds preventing illegal immigrants to have access to healthcare completely will discourage them from entering the country illegally knowing they could die from sickness, and eventually reduce the amount of money spent on their behalves in the healthcare industry.
Reducing the cost spend in healthcare for illegal immigrants will benefit Americans to have access to better healthcare and consequently eradicate the illegal migration to America.
In the years from 1860 through 1890, the prospect of a better life attracted nearly ten million immigrants who settled in cities around the United States. The growing number of industries produced demands for thousands of new workers and immigrants were seeking more economic opportunities. Most immigrants settled near each other’s own nationality and/or original village when in America.
Some viewpoints assert that if a person is in the United States illegally, he should have no rights and no benefits. Proponents justify this position by blaming illegal immigration for economic hardships, such as increasing health care costs, for the American people. This attitude is simply inaccurate. Many undocumented immigrants do contribute to the economies of the federal, state and local governments through taxes and can stimulate job growth. However, the cost of providing healthcare impacts federal, state, and local governments differently.
Healthcare has now become one of the top social as well as economic problems facing America today. The rising cost of medical and health insurance impacts the livelihood of all Americans in one way or another. The inability to pay for medical care is no longer a problem just affecting the uninsured but now is becoming an increased problem for those who have insurance as well. Health care can now been seen as a current concern. One issue that we face today is the actual amount of healthcare that is affordable. Each year millions of people go without any source of reliable coverage.
Many people of which do not know, or even understand programs, or funds that can assist them in these situations they are in. People not knowing or cannot afford health care is a huge problem especially considering the fact that many Americans are elderly or suffer from acute disease, disabilities, and even mental disorders. Without proper health care many of these Americans will suffer tremendously and their symptoms may develop even worse without proper medication and help. This cannot be given without affordable health care.
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...
In the United States, the cliché of a nation of immigrants is often invoked. Indeed, very few Americans can trace their ancestry to what is now the United States, and the origins of its immigrants have changed many times in American history. Despite the identity of an immigrant nation, changes in the origins of immigrants have often been met with resistance. What began with white, western European settlers fleeing religious persecution morphed into a multicultural nation as immigrants from countries across the globe came to the U.S. in increasing numbers. Like the colonial immigrants before them, these new immigrants sailed to the Americas to gain freedom, flee poverty and famine, and make a better life for themselves. Forgetting their origins as persecuted and excluded people, the older and more established immigrants became possessive about their country and tried to exclude and persecute the immigrant groups from non-western European backgrounds arriving in the U.S. This hostile, defensive, and xenophobic reaction to influxes of “new” immigrants known as Nativism was not far out of the mainstream. Nativism became a part of the American cultural and political landscape and helped to shape, through exclusion, the face of the United States for years to come.
Health insurance, too many American citizens, is not an option. However, some citizens find it unnecessary. Working in the health care field, I witness the effects of uninsured patients on medical offices. Too often, I see a “self-pay” patient receive care from their doctor and then fail to pay for it. Altogether, their refusal to pay leaves the office at a loss of money and calls for patients to pay extra in covering for the cost of the care the uninsured patient received. One office visit does not seem like too big of an expense, but multiple patients failing to pay for the care they receive adds up. Imagine the hospital bills that patients fail to pay; health services in a hospital are double, sometimes triple, in price at a hospital. It is unfair that paying patients are responsible for covering these unpaid services. Luckily, the Affordable Care Act was passed on March 23, 2010, otherwise known as Obamacare. Obamacare is necessary in America because it calls for all citizens to be health insured, no worrying about pre-existing conditions, and free benefits for men and women’s health.
Immigration has always and will always be an essential part of America’s demographic and cultural diversity. Our country was founded on the immigration of Europeans to the New World; without them our nation would not be as advanced as it is today. Over the past three centuries, America’s immigration policies have evolved, both positively and negatively. Although we are moving forward, several episodes in our country’s immigration policy have targeted and attacked certain ethnic or cultural groups. Throughout America there is disparity regarding attitudes toward immigrants. Policies fluctuate throughout the entire country, different states, and even major cities. As the United States moves forth, it is vital that we remember how crucial immigrants
Throughout the last three decades, increasing numbers of Asians have migrated to Canada from all over the Asian continent. Currently, 44% of the Vancouver area population is of Asian descent (Statistics Canada, 2001). Immigrants commonly occupy skilled job positions that the host nation is unable to fill with its own citizens, and thus they offer many advantages to their receiving country. In a nation with a declining birthrate, such as Canada, their contribution can play a major role on multiple levels. The immigrants themselves often enjoy a greater earning potential than they did in their native country, which can be advantageous for those who wish to send money back home to support their families.
America is known for democracy, freedom, and the American Dream. American citizens have the right to free speech, free press, the right to bear arms, and the right to religious freedom to name a few. The Declaration of Independence states that American citizens have the rights including “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” America promises equality and freedom and the protection of their rights as outlined in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. But with all the rights and freedoms that American citizens enjoy, there is one particular area where the United States seems to be lacking. That area is health care. The United States is the only industrialized nation that doesn’t have some form of legal recognition of a right to health care (Yamin 1157). Health care reform in the United States has become a major controversy for politicians, health care professionals, businesses, and citizens. Those in opposition to reform claim that health care is not a human right, therefore the government should not be involved. Supporters of reform believe that health care is most definitely a human right and should be available to everyone in the United States instead of only those who can afford it, and that it is the government’s responsibility to uphold that right.
Throughout the years, there have been many individuals and families who have not been able to afford healthcare. Some programs have helped to provide for those in need, but they have not provided to all needy citizens. In an effort to provide more people with the healthcare and insurance they truly need, the United States government has developed the Affordable Care Act. The act’s purpose is to expand Medicare, which was originally developed to provide for the elderly and the disabled, to those who are not disabled but are in times of financial hardship. The Affordable Care Act was originally developed to ensure healthcare to all individuals who could not afford it on their own. It would seem that the increase in the number of patients would benefit hospitals, but this act does the opposite of its intended outcome. There are more patients visiting the hospitals, but the act lowers the costs of their medical bills, which in turn decreases the hospitals’ incomes. This decreased source of income causes both the patients and the employees to find new solutions to the increased amount of issues that they now endure.
The American Health Care system has prided itself on providing high quality services to the citizens who normally cannot afford them. This system has been in place for years and until now it did a fairly decent job. The problem today is money; the cost of hospital services and doctor fees are rising faster than ever before. The government has been trying to come up with a new plan these past few years even though there has been strong opposition against a new Health Care system. There are many reasons why it should be changed and there are many reasons why it shouldn’t be changed. The main thing that both sides heads towards is money. Both sides want to save money just in different ways.
America needs comprehensive health care reform, and immigrants should be a part of the movement. But many American citizens might ask that pertinent question: why should they cover the expense for illegal immigrants to access health care? The answer is plain and simple: until congress passes immigration laws that work, people are going to migrant here illegally. And to deny migrants access to affordable health care, Americans are not only denying them their human right, they are also putting individual and national health at risk. I believe that this country – which has the medical advancements and the facilities to ensure the health of its citizens – should reach out to its non-citizens, legal and illegal, until it passes laws that improve conditions, increase pay and thus prevent disease more effectively-- or until undocumented workers are prevented from residing here altogether.
United States usually known as the “melting pot” and it is a typical immigrant country. In the past 400 years, United States has become a mixture of more than 100 ethnic groups. Immigrants bring they own dream and come to this land, some of them looking for better life for themselves and some want to make some money to send back home or they want their children to grow up in better condition. Throughout the history there’s few times of large wave of immigration and it is no exaggeration to say that immigrants created United States. For this paper I interview my neighbor and his immigration story is pretty interesting.
With the United Nations listing health care as natural born right and the escalating cost of health care America has reached a debatable crisis. Even if you do have insurance it's a finical strain on most families.