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| Fifth Column | ||
| Obama's Health RX: Cover Illegals. | ||
| 2008-07-22 | ||
| DEMOCRATS' single most important domes tic proposal - universal health insurance - may blow up in Barack Obama's face when voters are exposed to the deadly details. Obama has said, proudly and often, "I am going to give health insurance to 47 million Americans who are now without coverage." But are they "Americans?" That 47 million statistic includes illegal immigrants - who virtually all lack insurance. In fact, about one in four of those lacking insurance is here illegally. And they are, by far, the group most in need of health insurance. About 15 million of the remaining uninsured are eligible for Medicaid but haven't signed up - mainly because they haven't gotten sick. When they do, they enroll in Medicaid and we pick up the full tab for their health care relatively cheaply. (About 80 percent of each Medicaid dollar goes to nursing-home care for the elderly, only about 20 percent for the medical needs of the poor.) The rest of the uninsured pool? Virtually all the children are eligible for the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Some aren't enrolled because the parents haven't bothered, but most are eligible. That leaves about 20 million uninsured adults who are US citizens or legal immigrants. There are far better ways to handle their needs than to turn our entire health-care system upside down. Care for illegals is the biggest unmet medical need in our nation, and Obama's program targets it squarely. But do we really want to give them federally paid coverage equal to what US senators get, as Obama proposes? Covering illegals adds dramatically to the cost of any program - and would encourage more folks to enter America illicitly. Obama's plan will likely have a horrific effect on some local health-care systems. Illegals now get free emergency-room treatment for life-threatening conditions - as any other American who's entered an ER in an area with lots of illegals recently well knows. (Three-quarters of the illegal-immigrant population is concentrated in five states: California, New York, Florida, Texas and Illinois.) But now they'd be eligible for the entire range of medical services, all free of charge. That would trigger severe rationing: bureaucrats deciding who gets to see an oncologist, who can have an MRI - and even who can have bypass surgery and who'd die for lack of it.
McCain needs to hit the Obama plan for treating illegal immigrants to free, federally subsidized health insurance - and hit it hard. | ||
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #15 Legal Hispanics I know personally, most of which are in CA, wouldn't give illegals the sweat off their sack. It's funny, because many of them started off as illegals themselves and got legal over the years. My point is that they will split from the Dems on this issue if you have a set and explain it to them like this author does. It will cost them $$$$$ in taxes and that they can understand as well as you or I. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-07-22 11:58 |
| #14 Universal Health Care is extortion funded beurocrat rationed treatment. It's the worst system funded in the worst possbile way. I hope Americans are smart enough to see that the government nationalising their own bodies is about the least american thing you can do. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2008-07-22 11:43 |
| #13 He may need to do it to win, but he certainly won't because he favors it maybe more so than Hussein. Haven't you heard his repeated "all God's children " talk ? It pops up in every speech. What do you surmise he is implying ? He sounds like the Catholic church. Bring them in and let the "government" take care of them. The issue is whether the Dummocrats have voting majorities in both Houses. The first thing they are going after is Universal health care. Probably within the first 30 days. If fact, Fat Ted has his crew working diligently on legislation he can put forward as his Last Hurrah. As if he hasn't done enough damage already. I think universal health is coming without doubt. What will it mean ? To control costs, the wages of physicians and other health care professionals have to be slashed drastically. The cost of medication must be smashed. But will it be done ? Probably not. They think they can just increase debt. How much longer will the Chicoms, Japanese, etc. keep investing in our debt ? Until they have a better place to invest. Such meetings are being held, nothing has transpired...yet. This is going to be a tremendous drain on our sputtering economy. It will be like another Demo jewel, education. Now if you want a child to get a decent education, you have to put them into private schooling. Meanwhile, your tax dollars are spent to educate non-citizens who pay no tax, but send money south to build nice homes they will return to when they have a large enough kitty. Big changes coming, better get ready to hunker down. |
| Posted by: Woozle Elmeter 2700 2008-07-22 11:34 |
| #12 Consider supporting Lou Barletta for Congress. He's the Hazleton, Pennsylvania mayor that got fed up with the illegal alien crime waves and financial raping of his city. He's running on a strong anti illegal alien platform. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-07-22 11:09 |
| #11 The polls I've read are clear. A healthy majority of Americans don't want this. Spread the word! Let BO pander to the illegal vote. It wll be good. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2008-07-22 10:18 |
| #10 ... the group most in need of There,fixed it for ya. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2008-07-22 10:07 |
| #9 ...not paid a dime.... (somtimes even preview doesn't work...) |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2008-07-22 09:20 |
| #8 That 80 year old has probably been paying TAXES into the system for 60-odd years as well. While the 37 year old has probably not paid a time in federal taxes (and of course his large family has been taking advantage of free education, free lunch (and breakfast) programs, free ER care, etc... all on the 80 year old's dime) |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2008-07-22 09:19 |
| #7 McCain is almost as pro illegal alien as Obama is. Wrong.. McCain is pro Predator. |
| Posted by: JFM 2008-07-22 07:01 |
| #6 John McCain hasn't raised this issue, perhaps for fear of offending the Latino vote. Which presumes legal Latinos - those who might vote for the Trunks - think those who cheated the system deserve a break for which they (the legals) will fund. Gee, if you put it that way, it sounds pretty stupid, but I hear/read it again and again. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2008-07-22 07:00 |
| #5 McCain is almost as pro illegal alien as Obama is. |
| Posted by: mhw 2008-07-22 06:49 |
| #4 I thing he dosn't go far enough: universal health insurance should also cover the dead. After all they are loyal Democratoic voters. |
| Posted by: JFM 2008-07-22 04:41 |
| #3 TOPIX/REDDIT > THE US MAY SEE A SECOND BABY BOOM. CUPID + Hispanics + Quality-of-Life issues leading the charge??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2008-07-22 03:27 |
| #2 Bill Mexico. |
| Posted by: gorb 2008-07-22 03:01 |
| #1 Great! The whole fricking world will sneak into the US when they get sick! |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-07-22 00:44 |