Speech #1040203831

I will send that to the desk in just a moment. Let me explain what this amendment would do. I am deeply concerned that for the first time in the history of the program we will begin to sponsor deeming for Medicaid for legal immigrants. I recognize that this is a highcost program of $2 billion for helping legal immigrants over the next 7 years. But public health is at stakenot just the E 9483 immigrants health. The restriction on Medicaid places our communities at risk. It will be a serious problem for Americans and immigrants who live in high immigrant areas. If the sponsors income is deemed. and the sponsor is held liable for the cost to Medicaid. legal immigrants will be turned away from the program. or avoided altogether. These legal immigrants are not going to go away. They get sick like everyone else. and many will need help. But restricting Medicaid means conditions will be untreated and diseases will spread. If the Federal Government drops the ball on the Medicaid. our communities and States and local governments will have no choice but to pick up Medicare and pick up the cost. In addition to veterans. my amendment exempts children and prenatal and postpartum services from the Medicaid deeming requirements for legal immigrants. The bottom line is we are talking about children. legal immigrant children who will likely become future citizens. The early years of a persons life are the most vulnerable years for health. If the children develop complications early in life. complications which could have been prevented with access to health care. society will pay the costs of a lifetime of treatment when this child becomes a citizen. Children are not abusing Medicaid. When immigrant children get sick. they infect American citizen children. The bill we are discussing today effectively means children in school will not be able to get schoolbased care under the early and periodic screening. detection and treatment program. This program provides basic schoolbased health care. Under this bill. every time a legal immigrant goes to the school nurse. that nurse will have to determine if the child is eligible for Medicaid. The bill turns school nurses Into welfare officers. The end result is that millions of children will not receive needed treatment and early detection of diseases. Consider the following example. A legal immigrant child goes to her school nurse complaining of a bad cough. The nurse cannot treat the girl until it is determined that she is eligible for Medicaid. Meanwhile. the childs illness grows worse.