Simply put. if people are sick and cannot afford to pay for coverage for some of the most disabling conditions. someone will absorb the cost. The question is whether the Federal Government will pay a portion of that cost. or will such costs be shifted entirely to those States and local governments and hospitals where legal aliens will seek those services? As the National Conference of State Legislatures. the National Association of Counties and National League of Cities wrote in an April 24. 1996. letter: Without Medicaid eligibility. many legal immigrants will have no access to health care. Legal immigrants will be forced to turn to state indigent health care programs. public hospitals. and emergency rooms for assistance or avoid treatment altogether. This will in turn endanger the public health and increase the cost of providing health care to everyone. Furthermore. without Medicaid reimbursement. public hospitals and clinics In States and localities would incur increased unreimbursed costs for treating legal immigrants. The National Association of Public Hospitals. in their April 12. 1996. letter added: The (National Association of Public Hospitals] opposes a deeming requirement for Medicaid. It will lead to an increase in the number of uninsured patients and exacerbate an already tremendous burden of uncompensated care on public hospitals. * * * The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the effect of this bills current provision will be to reduce Federal reimbursement for such Medicaid costs by S2.7 billion.
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immigrants