{"id":477779,"date":"2010-03-26T08:36:52","date_gmt":"2010-03-26T12:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"tag:www.southernstudies.org,2010:\/\/5.12196"},"modified":"2010-03-30T09:41:44","modified_gmt":"2010-03-30T13:41:44","slug":"voices-health-care-reform-offers-a-mixed-bag-for-immigrants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/477779","title":{"rendered":"VOICES: Health care reform offers a mixed bag for immigrants"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"health_hispanic.jpg\"<\/a><\/span>By Sonal Ambegaokar, New America Media<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n

This week, President Obama signed into law legislation that will bring a
\n sea change to the American health care system. This legislation, known
\nas the Patient Protection and Affordability Act, will stop insurance
\ncompanies from harmful practices, make health insurance more affordable
\nfor low- and middle-income families and small businesses, and will begin
\n to control the skyrocketing costs of the U.S. health care system. <\/p>\n

The new health care reform bill should draw both cheers and jeers from
\nimmigrants across the country. Despite the bill’s investment and focus
\non preventative health care and wellness, funding to increase diversity
\nin the health work force, and national recognition of health disparities
\n and cultural and linguistic competence, the status quo in obtaining
\naffordable health insurance will only change for some immigrants. Others
\n will continue to be left out. <\/p>\n

Health Insurance for Citizens and Legal Immigrants<\/b><\/p>\n

Naturalized citizens and “lawfully present” immigrants will have the
\nsame access to affordable health insurance as U.S.-born citizens in the
\nnew insurance exchanges. They will be required to get health insurance
\nand pay a tax penalty for not having health insurance. They can apply
\nfor tax credits to make health insurance more affordable and apply for
\nan exemption from the requirement if health insurance remains
\nunaffordable. <\/p>\n

Medicaid for Low-Income Legal Immigrants<\/b><\/p>\n

However, under the new law, many of the lowest income lawfully present
\nimmigrants will remain ineligible or be required to wait years to enroll
\n in the most affordable health insurance, Medicaid. While they can buy
\nhealth insurance and apply for tax credits in the insurance exchange,
\nthis option may still be unaffordable for low-income immigrant families
\nwho will be forced to choose between paying for health insurance and
\nbasic necessities as they do today. Without the option of Medicaid
\ncoverage, many of these immigrants may remain uninsured and be forced to
\n delay their care when they fall ill. <\/p>\n

Undocumented Immigrants<\/b><\/p>\n

Undocumented immigrants, including undocumented children, are not
\nprovided any options for affordable health insurance by this health care
\n bill. Under existing rules, undocumented immigrants are not eligible
\nfor federal health care programs. Although many undocumented immigrants
\npay taxes and would like to pay their fair share for health insurance,
\nthey are not allowed to get tax relief to help make insurance more
\naffordable. Fortunately, citizen and legal immigrant children of
\nundocumented parents will be able to apply for tax credits on their own
\nin order to have affordable health insurance. But these complicated
\nrules may ultimately leave children of undocumented parents uninsured. <\/p>\n

The worst part of this bill is the restriction that prevents
\nundocumented immigrants from buying health insurance with their own
\nmoney. Because they are not allowed to buy insurance, undocumented
\nimmigrants are explicitly exempted from the insurance requirement.
\nUnfortunately, this will not prevent undocumented immigrants from
\nfalling ill and needing health care. Thus the health care reform bill
\ncontinues to allow millions in our society to remain uninsured and
\nforced to forgo or delay care, the very thing health care reform is
\ntrying to remedy. <\/p>\n

Excluding undocumented immigrants is not only short-sighted but will
\ncreate administrative nightmares for everyone else. Unlike today, anyone
\n who wants to buy health insurance under the new health care bill will
\nhave to provide proof of citizenship or immigration status. This is the
\nonly way to enforce the restriction against undocumented immigrants.
\nThousands of U.S.-born citizens were recently unable to get the care
\nthey needed at the time they needed it due to similar and costly red
\ntape in Medicaid because they did not have proof of their birth or a
\npassport to prove they were citizens. Rather than simplifying how we buy
\n health insurance, the new bill adds paperwork, bureaucracy, and delay
\nat taxpayers’ expense. <\/p>\n

Leaders in Washington have had the courage to make fundamental changes
\nto the long-broken health care system. Let us hope they can go one step
\nfurther to ensure that everyone living in the United States has access
\nto quality, affordable health care.<\/p>\n

Sonal Ambegaokar is a health policy attorney with the National
\nImmigration Law Center<\/a>.<\/i> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sonal Ambegaokar, New America Media This week, President Obama signed into law legislation that will bring a sea change to the American health care system. This legislation, known as the Patient Protection and Affordability Act, will stop insurance companies from harmful practices, make health insurance more affordable for low- and middle-income families and small […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4086,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-477779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4086"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=477779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477779\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=477779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=477779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=477779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}