Piling other countries’ medical problems onto the American taxpayer. (2010 should be an interesting year. –Ed)
Immigrants rights groups are seeking to change federal law so thatlegal immigrants won’t have to wait five years before becoming eligiblefor Medicaid.
Critics say such a change could make the U.S. a magnet for infirm immigrants.
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Isabel Alegria, a spokeswoman for the California Immigrant PolicyCenter, said there’s no good rationale for leaving legal immigrantswithout Medicaid, a federally funded program that is administered byindividual states.
“These are lawful residents who pay into the system and should beable to take advantage of it if they come into hard times,” she said.
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“The American taxpayer should not be burdened with other countries’medical problems,” he [Raymond Herrera, a local opponent of illegalimmigration] said.
Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino, who has been a strong proponent ofimmigration reform, said he doesn’t want to remove the five-yearwaiting period.
“That’s the price people pay to become legal citizens,” he said.
{snip}
Meanwhile, Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, who voted against the Houseversion of the healthcare bill and likely won’t vote for whatever comesout of the conference committee, seemed open to the idea of removingthe waiting period.
“I’m not supportive of putting restrictions on people who are herelegally,” he said. “The law ought to apply to all people who arecitizens and who are here legally.”