Published by: Zina Gontscharow on 1/31/2013 3:19:43 PM
As if Congress does not have enough on its plate these days,
this week we saw the immigration debate heat up. A bipartisan group of eight
Senators, four democrats and four republicans, held a press conference where
they released a plan that would include a path to citizenship for some of the
nation’s more than 11 million undocumented immigrants. The senators noted that
they hope to craft legislation in March, with passage in early summer. Not to
be outdone by this group of senators, President Barack Obama also released this
week a four-part plan for comprehensive immigration reform. The president’s
plan would continue to strengthen border security, crack down on employers who
hire illegal immigrant labor, create a path to earned citizenship and
streamline America’s legal immigration system. However, both of these plans are
still in their infancy and invite many questions. What does a path to
citizenship look like? What does this population fall on a socio-economic
scale? What social welfare benefits will
they be eligible for? The president stated that his plan would bar undocumented
immigrants, even those who gain provisional legal status, from accessing the
benefits of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This statement is consistent with
current federal law, as people with provisional status are not eligible for the
federal welfare benefits and tax credits and subsidies under the ACA. What does
that mean for these immigrants on a path to citizenship? Will they be barred
from accessing essential health services while in legal-status limbo? Will they continue to turn to emergency rooms
for their care? Will the safety net, NAPH members, have to continue to shoulder
the financial burden of their care? The immigration reform plans that have been
set out do little to address the potential impact of these newly documented
immigrants on America’s safety net. Although the president specifically noted
that ACA provisions would not be extended to the newly documented, the senate
plan has remained completely silent on any health care issues. It would be wise
for policymakers consider all implications while crafting legislation. The
potential costs and how to put immigrants not only on a path to citizenship,
but on a path to health care coverage and access. Otherwise, we will continue
to see millions of uninsured, now documented, immigrants turning to the already
strained safety net for care. $0