Speech #1100100128

Reauthorization Act also addresses a serious problem arising from the implementation of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Opponents of this responsible. commonsense. humane adjustment claim that language in the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) that imposed harsher citizenship verification requirements on State Medicaid programs is the only barrier protecting taxpayer dollars from being spent on healthcare for illegal immigrants. Empirical evidence from the first 9 months of the implementation of this rule demonstrates. in fact. that nothing could be further from the truth. First and foremost. existing Federal law and provisions in the CHIP Reauthorization Act prevent Federal funds from being spent to provide benefits for illegal immigrants. Section 605 specifically states that "nothing in this act allows Federal payment for individuals who are not legal immigrants." Illegal immigrants have never been eligible for Medicaid. and nothing in the CHIP Reauthorization Act would change that fact. Secondly. the DRA requirements have overwhelmingly failed to meet their objectiveproducing cost savings for the Medicaid program. Instead. they have imposed substantial additional costs on taxpayers while reducing health care benefits available to poor children. Wait times have skyrocketed. and measures to streamline the application process have been rendered impossible. In the first 9 months of the implementation of this requirement. 6 States spent a combined $16.6 million in State and Federal dollars. and found just 8 undocumented immigrants out of a pool of 3.6 million Medicaid applicants. The DRA requirements have effectively led States and the Federal Government to spend millions of dollars in additional administrative expenses. funds which have ultimately been put to use denying care to tens of thousands of otherwise eligible American children. Third. these draconian requirements. which are far stricter than those employed by other government programs. have caused tens of thousands of U.S. citizen children to lose health insurance coverage.