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Immigration status could block children from public healthcare

July 3, 2011

As many as 220,000 uninsured children in California will be excluded from health care reform programs because of their or their parents’ immigration status, according to an analysis released Thursday. [CaliforniaWatch]

When fully implemented in 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will expand health insurance to millions of uninsured Californians, California Watch said. But about 20 percent of the state’s 1 million uninsured children will be left out because they or their parents are illegal immigrants, researchers at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research said.

“The Affordable Care Act doesn’t really go to covering all kids,” said Shana Alex Lavarreda, director of health insurance studies at the center and an author of the report. “It doesn’t get to that 100 percent coverage mark that we’ve been trying to get to.”

The findings, based on data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey, count respondents who were non-citizens without green cards as undocumented immigrants.

Researchers estimate that 170,000 children will be barred from enrolling in Medi-Cal or purchasing private insurance in the California Health Benefit Exchange because they are illegal immigrants. Federal law prohibits the use of federal funds to provide health care services for illegal immigrants, California Watch added.

An additional 10,000 children are legal immigrants and have household incomes qualifying them for Medi-Cal, but they have been in the U.S. fewer than five years, making them ineligible for the federally funded program, according to California Watch.

If the state because of budget reductions cuts coverage for these recent immigrants, an additional 98,000 children currently enrolled in Medi-Cal will be dropped. They could, however, purchase insurance through the exchange when it opens.

Researchers estimate that 40,000 uninsured children could potentially be excluded from programs because of their parents’ citizenship status. Parents who are not citizens and do not have green cards do not qualify for the programs, but they may not know their citizen children do.

Some parents may fear jeopardizing their own immigration status by enrolling their children in public programs, said Doreena Wong, project director of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center’s Health Access Project to California Watch.

“There is this pervasive fear among the undocumented,” she said. “There’s this fear that if you take any kind of public benefits, including Medi-Cal or Healthy Families, that when you try to adjust your status and get your green card, you’ll be denied.”


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I am not without compassion for another human being, especially for children.

But remember all these assumed entitlement programs were funded during FAT times.

What had also worsen matters were special interest gaining a sense of binding entitlement during those FAT times which we can no longer do in the mid or long term.

They will get assistance but only out of charity and not entitlement..


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“I am not without compassion for another human being, especially for children.

But remember all these assumed entitlement programs were funded during FAT times.”


—————————–


What you fail to understand is that it is bad economic policy to not treat one person with TB and then, when the sentinel case goes untreated and spreads to others, have to treat 2000 with TB.


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This part of the argument seems pretty basic Mary, I’m not sure why they don’t get it. Good preventive care is one of several reasons that health care expenses is so much less in other countries.


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Not to worry. All of these children will be able to get free health care through our county health program.


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This is really a very simple issue. It sounds wonderful to offer illegal aliens unlimited health care, which in the short term would be a kind and caring gesture. In the long term though we will be stealing from our children by spending money we do not have. No one is ever denied emergency medical treatment in the United States, but health care for the thousands of treatable issues is something each human should take personal responsibility for. So we can either provide current health care to millions now at the cost of ruining the economic future of our children, Or we can remain fiscally wise by offering health care insurance to anyone willing to work hard and spend wisely, thereby assuring the next generation of a better economic world .


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After reading these posts, some of the comments are bleeding heart liberal is it gets. “Help all the kids!” The story is simple. The illegal immigrant issue is so bad it sickens me. We all must agree that billions are spent on illegal immigrant healthcare. We also must agree that our schools are way overburdened in part by illegal aliens. We also must agree that having to have a bilingual person in just about every government business is costing us. In addition, just about every government piece of paper has to be written in Spanish. Those who want to help all these people should get on a plane and go to some of the countries where just about everyone is starving in Africa. We can’t help them all. There are too many people on this earth for long term survival of the human species. God will take care of this one way or another whether it be through having us kill each other off through nuclear war or some kind of disease that knocks off 2/3 of the planet to get the numbers in line where they should be. We need to get these illegals back to Mexico where they belong. Learn to speak English, THEN apply for a visa to come here. My family came from Italy and they had to learn English back in the Ellis Island days. Do some of you honestly think these people will help you when you are broke from helping all of them?


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I don’t think you have to be a bleeding heart liberal to want to help others. It is a gift we give without expectation of getting anything in return. Other than

treating us as we treat them. With respect and care. And while we are at it I think we should school them and offer to teach them english without them worrying about when they will be caught and sent back. Another gift we can give them.

I think we can help them all. Let’s get rid of all the fat cat’s in office and start over. Term limits and no more raises till we balance the budget. Let’s start with our city budgets. And City Manager’s salaries.


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“I don’t think you have to be a bleeding heart liberal to want to help others.”


No but you have to have a heart that bleeds and the problem is that many of these people don’t. When I’m called a bleeding heart lib I wear it as a badge of honor. I was raised with a strong Republican father and Dem mother that taught me to have heart that bleeds for others no matter what side of the isle that I chose to vote with. Some just don’t have a heart. Look up the word ‘liberal’, I also am proud to be ‘liberal’, that’s not a bad thing as a matter of fact it’s a compliment.


If we could get medical costs down like other counties and if we could get rid of the bureaucracy then there would enough to pay for medical care for everyone without being a burden. But like you I agree, morally we must help our neighbor or those that are unable to help themselves.


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Okay when times are fat

A little bit when times are lean

But (economically) we are bone dry now


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I believe everyone should get healthcare now. If you can”t afford it then it’s free. I am willing to pay extra for coverage for illegal aliens. Especially for the kids. Our government wastes so damn much money that could be put to good use. Give me a break Americans. Just our luck to be born in the USA. How about the less lucky? I vote for a healthy people. God Bless America. Let’s continue to be giving to all the less fortunate.


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Thank you, Spirit. Your post is inspiring.


I am old enough to remember when America was the land of helping others, not the one of “me first who cares about you.”


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That must have been just before the 23 million illegals that don’t give a rat’s ass about “America” came pouring across our border.


But hey, Spirit Filled is buying so I’m all in!


Spirit, could you please supply me with your address…I’ll have a $700 a month payment invoice I’d like to forward to you. Can you make sure it gets payed on time? I don’t want to loose our PPO coverage. MmmKay?


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QUOTING SSB: “That must have been just before the 23 million illegals that don’t give a rat’s ass about “America” came pouring across our border.”


————-


It was after the raggedy-assed illegal immigrants called “The Pilgrims” snuck into America. One of my ancestors was a Founding Father, and so my family was here WAY before yours.


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Really…and you know your family was here WAY before SSB’s how? Prove it!


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Line up I am buying milk and honey for all!


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Sorry I don’t think you are an illegal alien are you. If so maybe I can get you some help. Otherwise it’s milk and honey for you.

I prayed for health for two years because I couldn’t pay for our health care. Had to drop it. It was costing me about $800.00 a month. Maybe a little less. Thank God I lasted til I was 66 before I needed health care. Medicare kicked in and I was saved. Didn’t have to mortgage the house or die in the field.

Thank you for paying your taxes, you saved us. I have paid my dues. And so have you.


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And do you remember that illegal by very definition is illegal? Why should persons who come here ILLEGALLY receive any benefit for their actions? What does it say to those who came here and naturalized in accordance with the laws of our country? If you want to reward those who come here against the law, be my guest. YOU can pay for the healthcare for every one of those 13 million illegals…knock yourself out. No one is stopping you!


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As long as you consider it a “benefit” to protect all residents from outbreaks of infectious diseases by ensuring that all residents have access to health care so they will seek medical help when they get sick, thereby diverting an outbreak of an infectious disease or at least decreasing the severity of it, we will find no common ground.


It will cost you MORE if undocumented workers get sick and are afraid to go to a doctor, with the result being an outbreak of an infectious disease, than to provide care when they get sick.


It appears you cannot understand that reality, or don’t believe me. If it is the latter, if you know a physician or nurse you trust, ask them about it.


If it is the former, then that will only be cured when you or someone you love suffers from an outbreak that could have been prevented if the people who grow our food for us were given health care when they get sick.


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What a false pretense!


No, I don’t consider it a “benefit”. A benefit would be keeping third world infectious diseases that we previously eradicated out in the first place.


If anyone wants to become a citizen, let them embrace the country and come in. No stealing from our children and welfare, thank you very much.


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Your reasoning is as sound as saying “people shouldn’t shoot and kill people, some undocumented workers shoot and kill people, therefore because it is illegal, there should be no police to keep us all safe.”


Providing health care for all residents to prevent an outbreak of infectious disease is like providing a police force to protect all residents in order to prevent an outbreak of gun violence: Yes, some of those protected will be undocumented workers, but by protecting all residents it ensures that those who are not legally in our country have access to professionals (medical or police) who can help keep them and, therefore, us safe.


Certainly, the problem of undocumented workers and other residents is a problem for the U.S. on many levels. However, as long as they are here, we have to deal with that reality, not the reality we would like to have.


If you want to drastically cut down the undocumented workers’ presence in our country, then get on your representatives to pass laws that will be enforced to deliver very strong punishment to the employers who hire them.


Not providing health care to sick people–no matter what their resident status is–is not only inhumane, but it is economically and sociologically short-sighted, costing us far more in the long run than if we had just provided a place where, when they get a persistent cough, they can go get it checked out to ensure it is not TB.


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Yet, we have no way to prevent people with infectious diseases to cross the border and come here with TB, AIDs, etc. to infect Americans.


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That is true, and what a sad thing it is when our president is more interested in starting a war with every Middle Eastern and African country he can, bankrupting our nation and sending our soldiers there to be slaughtered, instead of keeping our soldiers here in the U.S., protecting our borders from the drug cartel violence spilling across our borders and into our suburban streets.


I understand why people in Arizona grew so afraid that they felt turned to packing guns and xenophobia. The Federal government–who has the rights to protect our international borders, and the resources, both of which states do not have–has largely ignored the threat to our border states (for now; we are all at risk, it is just a matter of time, as the violence continues to move forward).


But packing guns and being so afraid of foreigners that you scapegoat all people of a certain skin color, which does nothing to address the real problem, which is our Federal government not protecting our international borders from invasion by a hostile military force. Packing guns also won’t help you because, I can guarantee you, would be NO match for what the drug cartel enforcers and traffickers are packing and the unprecedented ruthless skill by which they use use them.


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My brother lives in a Texas border town and has a license to carry a concealed weapon. Having a gun has saved him three times from being robbed and possibly killed. In addition to families coming across the border, you have drug smugglers and drug cartel people. You really have no idea of what it is like living in some of the border areas. It is like living in Mexico.


Security systems for your house, security gates for your yard, you don’t travel through certain parts of town, you don’t get on the highway at night–all of these things are part of his daily life. They are afraid of these foreigners because so many are gangsters and criminals. People have been knifed for a box of laundry detergent at the laundromat.


It’s easy to be philosophical about the situation in Arizona if you’re safe and sound in SLO County. Try spending your next vacation along the Arizona border; you might come back with a different viewpoint.


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Read my post next time before you reply.


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What is xenophobia? Sounds like a new fear of something. I read a lot and that’s a new word. As soon as I find out what it is I will figure out a way to use it.


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Xenophobia is a fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners, unfortunately there’s quite a bit of it in this forum. But in all honesty I believe that much of it is simply selfishness with maybe a touch of xenophobia. This is the ‘me’ generation.


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Thanks for definition. Not going to use that word. It’s ugly. I will continue living in my protective bubble in SLO county.


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In your obvious arrogance you overlook the possibility I could very well already BE a doctor. Undocumented workers cost us all MORE healthy or sick. Once again, feel free to take up their cause and make them all free of “outbreak”. No doubt you can afford it…


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If you are a doctor or nurse and believe that it is cheaper to not treat one undocumented resident with TB and allow them to circulate in the community, infecting other residents, than to treat the one case of TB, you need to take a refresher course on the economics of medical care.


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Trust me, danika isn’t a doctor. (no offence danika)


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No? But does she play one on TV?


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Funny funny.


Where have you been r0y? Missed fighting,,,I mean debating with you. You just couldn’t stay away, (although you know deep inside that your’e ALWAYS wrong and that I’m ALWAYS right) :)


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I’m with you Spirit. It’s a sad day when our country turns children away and allows them to get sick and even worse die when we could help them. This is what we’ve become, cold hearted and selfish. SSB would let a child die on his doorstep if the child happens to have brown skin. A child is a child, it’ doesn’t matter what thier legal status is or what color they are.


This is one of the issues that p!ssed me off about Obama. When the dems had the power Obama did this as a compromise to appease the right. He should have stuck to what is morally right and told the right to scr^w themselves. He should have stuck to his original plan which didn’t include this and he could have included all children, we had the power.


Lastly, I’ve said this over and over. We only hurt ourselves if we have an unhealthy population. Who’s going to be effected when the sick child goes to school or the park and plays with the ‘white’ citizens,,,, those same white parents that are complaining about kids getting medical care are going to be effected. They are cutting off their noses to spite their faces, it’s stupid.


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TQueen, I agree with your post 100%, especially the part about Obama.


I’m so glad we agree on this. This is such an important issue for me, and I regard your opinion very highly, even if sometimes we don’t agree.


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I agree with all who are generous in their giving. I say give from your substance not from your excess. Then we know it is a true gift.

Typo and Mary are brilliant people. I agree with your comments. You two are waay smarter than I am.


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Those on the left will like what you’re saying, but ironically, not the origins of it.


Color me confused, but you are the most bi-polar commenting person that I have such a hard time with! I think I would seriously enjoy a beer (or tea) with you!


It is like passing up that off-ramp beggar. I know in my heart I want to give, but the last couple times when I offered food and was cussed at, it really makes it hard to want to help the next guy. Similar here. Yes, we should always help our brothers, but what happens when that brother turns out to be Cain?


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Not that I know much but from past experience I have had a lot of Cain’s in my life. I give them change or a buck and move on. I have a real problem telling anyone that asks me for help, no. I don’t judge them. I just help when I can and move on. If they are drunk I wil steer them to an AA meeting and hope for the best. I don’t even consider them Cain anymore. I gave one a gift certificate for a free meal and he threw it back at me.

I was doing a job in Santa Cruz not long ago. (a little over a year ago before I quit smoking) Before the job was over I had at least 15 close begging smokers. They all knew my name, talked to me like we had been friends for years. Talked about how much they loved being poor living on the streets. I was surprised but enjoyed being with them. I know they befriended me because I had cigs but thats okay. I have in the past made friends that I thought would be helpful to me or my business. No more. I’m not as needy as I used to be. Now I’m just a mean o grandpa. That’s what my grandkids say. They know I couldn’t catch them if they ran away. But of course they also know that I won’t say no to them when they need something. I will help in anyway I can.

Money is not always the help they need. Sometimes its prayers.

Same with the Cain’s in our lives. I give them a buck and tell them I will pray for them. People often soften when you tell them you will pray for them and their situation. I also ask them to pray for me. (Sometimes they tell me to get f……ked but that’s okay and I pray for them anyway.

I have been a Cain in the past, especially before I quit drinking.

I had my wife praying for me. Not saying I’m not Cain once in a while now. I give myself a buck and have a talk with God. I know he will listen and come back with the best idea for me on how to change.

By the way, I hate tea. Diet pepsi is my friend. I just found a place that has them on sale for $2.80 a 12-pack. That is the full price. Just bought 10 12-packs. Guess I will go back for more tomorrow. 1 or 2 a day keeps Cain away most days.


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You sound racist.


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…and the politically correct klaxons blare! Danika, I know you are more intelligent than this.


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And what massive percentage of your income are you donating to charitable causes? And what percentage of everyone else’s income will you confiscate for your causes rather than letting the truly charitable Americans stand up and contribute to worthy causes on their own?


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America is one of the most giving countries in the world. God Bless Americans. We know how to give and do. Let’s not stop or complain about our giving. Not very humble to give and brag about how much. Let’s just continue to give from our hearts. Crushes arrogance and selfishness. The frowns to smiles.

After you give to the needy can’t you feel how your whole being lights up? It does I’ve seen the look many times in others.


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I am going to go out on a limb here, but I am willing to bet that ‘Spirit Filled’ is a government employee on some level or another. Or, his/her spouse is.


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No, I am a retired garbage man. When men were men. No levers to pick the cans up. Just plain old blood and guts. Just kidding. I did do that while going to college though. I actually fixed furniture with my bare hands. Wife has never worked other than raising our kids, and two of our grandkids. Of course she has done the hardest job anyone can do. In my mind women that stay home are hero’s. In fact all women are hero’s. They don’t give then brag about it. Women are basically humble. An example for us men to strive for.

I know some men are humble, most likely they are very old and don’t need to prove anything anymore. God Bless old people!


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Okay Spirit, I said it once and I’ll say it again,,, you sound like a good husband. I love when I hear men talk with such respect towards their wives. Cover your eyes for this next comment Spirit. If most husbands said things like that (and meant it) they would get more from their wives of what they want,,,if you know what I mean. Complements like that are like foreplay for women.


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I learned most of what I know about women from my wife. She is a wise and intelligent woman. And doesn’t tolerate B.S. You sound like the same type of woman. Your husband is a very lucky man. Most husbands are a lot more lucky than they are willing to admit. Too bad. Men major in smoke and mirrors. It’s like we are stupid. I think fear is a driving motivation that keeps us from listening or being vulnerable in front of our ladies. Fear of being seen as weak. Men know almost nothing about women. They need to listen to their wives. Some weaknesses are really strengths.

I use to think that if I started to cry I wouldn’t stop. Well I found that crying is very liberating. I’m not saying cry all the time in front of your wife. A good cry in the garage or bathroom or another private place is good for you. Gets you out of the ego stage. We know you’re great. God loves you. Keep low and leave your ego at the front door before you join your family.

I try to be a good husband. Just started testosterone shots and have been chasing my wife around the house again. She’s not real fast. As I’m walking fast after her sometimes my cane gets caught in furniture or something and I trip and fall. That always stops her and brings her back to me. She’s not on to me yet. I know exactly how to fall now to make it look like an accident. I don’t know maybe she is on to me. Oh well what ever works. Praise God!


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Thank you for the nice compliments. I will strive to live up to them.


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Going to college?! With your spelling? Yikes, I hope it was for engineering or science! Heh, just kidding!


I agree that stay-at-home mom’s are heroes, indeed. So are stay-at-home dad’s – a very rapidly growing segment of the public. Mark my words, we’re headed back to a single-income household whether we like it or not.


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My doc is a terrible speller but he’s a great doc.


I remember Susie Orman once said that many people are spending more by both parents working and they don’t even know it. Not only is not the ideal situation for the kids but by the time you figure in daycare, extra gas to get to work, daycare, eating out, your kids getting sick more from being in daycare and some other expenses that I can’t remember, many times parents end up breaking even or worse yet paying more than what they make. She said many of them don’t even know that they’re paying more until she breaks it down for them.


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You’re right college didn’t help me a bit. I majored in micro-biology, drinking, and wild women. I dropped out after three years. Hurt my back. Hated school, got an “F” in biology twice.

Finally got a “D” and went out and got drunk and knew I was a success for sure.

I was a craftsman my whole life. Repaired furniture and fine art for movers, insurance companies and others. Loved it for 35 years. Now I watch others do it.

If my spelling is bad it’s your fault.


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Infectious diseases are equal-opportunity killers. They don’t give a rat’s patoot whether you are a natural-born, undocumented, or any other type of resident.


Health care is the absolute LAST place from which we should block access for undocumented residents.


The undocumented residents walk and work amongst us. There is no way to identify them by sight. Therefore, they could be sitting next to you at McDonalds, at a baseball game, playing with your kids in a park or playground, or preparing/serving/handling your food.


If that undocumented resident has TB, hepatitis A through H (yes, they have hepatitis up to hepatitis-H now, and, no, they do not test for any hepatitis past hepatitis-C), or any of the more exotic diseases such as anthrax, or the hemorrhagic diseases, Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus. there is a chance anyone who comes in contact with them will be exposed.


The TB we get now is very, very resistant to antibiotics. It takes months of consistent treatment to get rid of…and that is only, of course, after it has been diagnosed.


Childhood diseases largely eradicated here in the U.S. (such as measles) are still quite active in other countries. Swine-flu can break out anywhere on the planet, and, as we saw the last time, the deadly form was first seen in Canada and then Mexico.


Ebola and Marburg are the most scary, however, because they are so fatal–85 to 90% fatality. There is no cure. The virus is very, very strong. In DR Congo, in a rural clinic where Ebola broke out, mercenary soldiers were advancing on the clinic. They had to immediately evacuate everyone. A doctor had just drawn blood from a patient when the call to evacuate came, and he sat the needle (with the blood in it) on the windowsill, in the sun. They were gone from the clinic over two weeks. When they returned, the doctor saw the syringe with the blood and, out of curiosity, tested it. There was still live virus–after sitting two weeks in 100+-degree sun.


Ebola, Marburg, or any other disease is one plane flight away from us. We still do not have an effective system to deal with an outbreak of such a disease. The first who will die are the ones we need the most: our first responders, doctors, nurses, and other patient-care professionals. There are not enough isolation units, drugs, sterile saline, and certainly not enough blood products to deal with an outbreak of Ebola….not unless we decide to just shoot every person who gets it. And that could be your child, your mother, or you.


Don’t think Ebola getting to the U.S. is so far fetched. There have been two cases already that entered the U.S. and it was only by the grace of God that we did not have an outbreak.


In Africa, however, a doctor working in a rural clinic where there was an outbreak of Ebola contracted Ebola. He knew he had it, but he didn’t tell anyone. Instead, he immediately got an airport, hopped on a plane, flew to Johannesburg, South Africa, walked through the airport, waited for his luggage, got in a taxi, and got himself admitted to the hospital. Without telling anyone he had Ebola.


Two nurses and an aide died of Ebola because of that doctor. South Africa NEVER CLOSED THE AIRPORTS or even told the people to stay out of public places for a few days. They did NOTHING to restrict travel or public gathering of the people.


Meanwhile, people were flying in and out of Johannesburg, some of them flying to the United States.


South Africa, and the world, was incredibly lucky.


But that’s what people do when they are frightened. They sometimes go into denial and sometimes they just run to the nearest hospital, with the potential to expose others along the way and in the hospital.


But this is the important part, why we MUST provide health-care to anyone who needs it.


As an example, if an undocumented worker gets TB, is afraid to get medical treatment, and so continues to work, move and live amongst others, he will be very likely to spread TB. Worse, when he dies, he may die alone where no one can find him, or his fellow undocumented workers may quietly bury him so as not to draw attention to themselves.


That means, when the TB outbreak caused by ONE undocumented worker not being able to get health-care for his continued cough becomes a problem amongst documented residents, they will not be able to trace it back to the sentinel source–always important in an outbreak. Not only will the body of the original case be unavailable, because of the fear of deportation, they will not get information that will lead them to those who had it, and may have given it to others along the way.


In such a scenario, if your child gets TB from this outbreak, because the local medical community may not yet be aware of the outbreak, it may be months before the symptoms become severe enough that a chest x-ray is done. During that time, the TB has spread throughout her lungs, killing off parts of her lung tissue–leading to a lifetime of decreased ability to exercise, walk, run and play.


If they had known of the outbreak, they could have alerted the community and you would have brought your child in sooner for testing.


Better yet, if those undocumented residents, the community in which the TB outbreak first occurred, had been free to go to the doctors for help, the outbreak could have been followed backwards, and possible contacts alerted to go in for testing.


This is the most important issue facing the insane cutbacks governments are considering. If access to health care for ALL is not available, we ALL suffer.


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So, MaryMalone, CA should just continue to be Mexico’s maternity ward? What insanity! If we threw the illegal aliens out and prevented the new ones from getting in, we wouldn’t have to worry about their “medical care.” Whose country is this, anyway? Is there something in the CA state Constitution which obligates us to pay for the medical of illegal aliens??? Government services are shutting down all over this state and all over this country because of the huge deficits being run by the states because of the presence of illegal aliens.


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Outbreaks eat up $$$BILLIONS in a couple of weeks.


It is actually better economic practice to provide health care to undocumented residents because we end up paying for the documented residents who catch whatever disease the undocumented worker had and spread because of lack of access to get the problem treated.


From a wider economic viewpoint, there is for consideration the cost of resources lost from those who cannot work because they are ill, and those who are taking care of those who are ill. Then there is the cost of burials and time/concentration distracted by the death of a loved one.


Each person who dies has accumulated a lot of our country’s resources along the way (in the form of education, access to our infrastructure, etc.). Our society invests those resources so, when the person becomes of working, they can get a job and then return part of their income (taxes) to the government. This is Economics 101.


If a person dies before they pay enough in taxes to make up for what society has invested in them, then it is a net loss to our country.


(As an aside, if a person becomes unemployed because of no fault of their own–i.e., their job was sent to India–this is also a net loss to our society because it takes so much more resources to retrain them to the place they were contribution-to-society-wise before their job was shipped overseas.)


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Mary though I feel your intentions are in the right place, there is no way our state can continue footing the bill for those here illegally.


My grandparents immigrated from Mexico the right way, waiting for work visas, then arriving here and taking naturalization classes. They were excited to learn english, and provide a life for their family better than what they had in Mexico. And many, many more great Americans did the same thing.


But that is not the case anymore with people coming over from Mexico. They are like locusts. They are draining our economy while working for pennies then sending most of it home. They are living 4 families deep in 1800 square foot homes in Atascadero (true story) and running down the house so badly in 3 years that it has to be completely gutted and remodeled. They are demanding equal rights but refuse to live by the laws of our country. They don’t attempt to learn our language, or customs, yet demand to have all the same rights as us. It is not right. It is not okay.


If we start sending these illegal residents home, we wouldn’t have to worry about them spreading diseases around.


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I applaud both you and your grandparents.


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Get real. How are you going to identify ALL of the undocumented workers? Because, for your JBT methodology of exporting them ALL to their “home” (which is now the U.S., so even that doesn’t make sense)–to stop infectious disesases from bankrupting our country, it would have to be ALL of them.


Actually, the flood of immigrants from Latin America has decrease so now there are more leaving than coming in. That is how bad our economy is.


If you want to stop illegal immigration, stop the farmers from hiring them. This is something our elected officials are afraid to do, so we will need to vote them out of office and vote in officials who are willing to stop the farmers from hiring them.


Of course, you would need to be prepared for a big mark-up in food costs. California is called the “Salad Bowl of America,” and it would be difficult to remain competitive with Latin American vegetable growing operations, which already are unfairly competing with our farmers.


I hope you never suffer the kind of economic situation undocumented workers face regularly. You might believe living four families in an 1800-sqft house would be a luxury, and you might have a bit more compassion for the people who allow you to eat fresh vegetables at a reasonable price.


When did your grandparents emigrate. There have been periods of time (i.e., the “Bracero” period) when workers from Mexico were actually solicited by our government, their travel here was paid for, etc. What brought an end to that was the mechanical tomato harvester. We ended up with a lot of unemployed workers who did not have the money to transport their families back home.


My father’s family emigrated from Germany and, to the day he and his brothers/sisters died, they all spoke German at home and at family gatherings. They kept their culture, too. At times, when one lost a job, they would have to move in with a brother or sister and their family, but that was part of being a family.


I’m sure there were intolerant things said about them, too, just as there were intolerant things said about my mother’s family, who moved here during the dustbowl.


But guess what. Every last one of our families turned out to be productive citizens, and we even have two doctors in our midst…pretty good from two families where only 3 out of 13 kids ever went to any school AT ALL.


This current wave of intolerance is bred by the same fear that breeds all bigotry and intolerance. If you want a solution for it, look to our government who has failed us and destroyed our economy.


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Couldn’t have said it better!


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“If we start sending these illegal residents home, we wouldn’t have to worry about them spreading diseases around”.


Really, and how do we do that? Do we do the old Nazi thing,,let me see your papers!? You don’t have your papers and your skin is brown,,get on the train. Instead of sewing stars on thier shirts perhaps we could sew Mexican flags on their shirts to identify them. Perhaps tattoo their foreheads so we can tell if their repeat offenders.


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Great post, TQueen. I didn’t dare even broach that subject because I couldn’t trust myself not to burst into flames.


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Typo. Don’t get caught without your papers in Mexico. You would go straight to jail and wouldn’t get out until your family came up with the money demanded by the police (it used to be $500 to $1000 or if they thought you were rich, $5000 and up)..


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Why are you comparing us to Mexico, is that how you think we should be?


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I was waiting for someone to play the “Nazi” card. Evocation of ‘Nazi’ or ‘Hitler’ usually signifies the end of all serious comments.


…Insert Tongue-in-Cheek now……

I wonder when poor ol’ Ernie Hitler will be able to use his family surname again? Ever notice that there is no one with the last name of Hitler these days?

….Remove-Tongue-from-Cheek…….


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Well, how do you suggest that we find all these horrible illegals? This is what these other posters are saying, we need to round them up and ship them out. How does that sound to you? How do we do that?


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Economics 101? I don’t think so. You have some strange ideas about “investments.” What is this double talk about “undocumented workers”? What’s wrong with the right term, “illegal aliens”? I don’t want to “provide” medical care to illegal aliens. It’s against the law for them to be here in the first place, and I can’t afford it in the second place. Our economy is collapsing because of their presence here. You do not seem to understand the sheer destructive power of illegal aliens. Look around you! You cannot have a “welfare state” and mass illegal immigration in the same place. The result is total disaster. Illegal aliens will gladly take whatever freebies you give them. Just how much are you prepared to give them? This kind of “giving” is tantamount to giving your country away, lock, stock, and barrel!


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“Illegal aliens” is the “right term”? Says who?


Here’s something you should consider…during the Black Plague, even royalty died. They thought they were immune from “them” because they spent so much time distancing themselves from “them” and pretending “they” didn’t exist, except when they needed something from “them.”


But they were wrong.


I’ve taking Econ 101 and the Economics of Agricultural Labor. And you?


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The law, that’s who! I assume you know what that is. Your “investments” will be our ruin! All the world’s poor cannot come here! Nobody voted on these “investments” you talk about. They are taking our money and using it against us to break us, the middle class. We do seem to agree on one thing, though; the feds will not enforce our own immigration laws (and many other laws, for that matter). I can only conclude that this federal government has abdicated its Constitutional role and is now a full blown racketeering enterprise (RICO anyone?). It is no longer a legitimate government. But that doesn’t make illegal immigration desireable in the least. On the contrary. Those illegal aliens will come in and take over our country if we let them, and we are letting them. Until we get the do-nothing crooks out of our federal government, nothing positive will be done. By the way, the population control crooks can kill us off any time with germ warfare. All this quibbling over what to do with illegal aliens is not going to make any difference in that department. But we sure do suffer financially because of them. Soon, suffering will lead to total economic destruction. It is happening AS WE SPEAK!


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What part of “outbreaks run up $$$BILLIONS of dollars in just a few weeks” don’t you understand?


Health care is not the place to make the cuts. It endangers us, and the future of our country, if those cuts are made.


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Mary, I have tried to get this through these peoples heads for a long time, they just don’t get the fact that they are hurting themselves. As Barney Frank said ‘it’s like talking to a table’.


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Well, now that I’m here, we can tag team them. We will be outnumbered, but I’m sure we can handle it =)


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You are very naive if you think that we are going to throw out all the illegal immigrants, that just ain’t gonna happen. Wake up and smell the tortillas, they’re here and for the most part they are productive humans and we need to treat them humanly. They’re not going back and thinking people on the left and the right knows that.. We could with the right leadership stop the influx coming in over the borders but the people that are here are here to stay. So it’s time to get out of never never land get back to reality.


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The cost to taxpayers nationwide is staggering for the prenatal care, delivery costs, and post delivery expenses we pay for these people who have simply helped themselves to our country and have numerous children at our expense. It really is sad, but we have to say we just don’t have the resources to continue hemmoraging money like this. La Raza says they are taking this country one birth at a time. This should speak volumes.


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Now that we are the minority we better watch what we say and be good examples to all. Soon we are going to need their vote and kindness to live. I am quite sure they will not round us up and put us on trains and planes to get us back to where we came from. Could happen though.


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Yeah? So What?


If I go to Mexico or virtually any other nation, are they going to cover my medical costs? Hell no!


This country needs to eliminate the whole “Anchor Baby” scam.


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AGREED!!!


At the same point, I do think everyone should be required to have medical insurance, but state and federal programs should not be paying for those who are not citizens.


They should be scared to take public funding before becoming citizens, and when (if) found to have recieved public benefits before becoming citizens they should be sent back to where ever they came from.


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I think this care for EVERYONE regardless of status is un affordable-If we didn’t offer everything for free people would bot have so many incentives to come-but you CAN walk into a clinic in Ensenada Mexico and get stitches or treatment for NOTHING-


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Not only will they not cover your medical expenses, they won’t let you leave the hospital until you pay them. And go to Mexico and try to get a job! You can only be self employed and all your employees must be Mexican or work on commission. This is so you don’t displace a Mexican from a job. I’m not sure why they worry about that since they are all up here displacing Americans from jobs and causing billions of dollars of tax payer paid medical costs.


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I don’t know who you are listening to, but that simply is not the truth.


Especially here in California, there are more undocumented workers leaving our country than entering our country. THAT is how bad our economy is.


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Show us where you found that “wrong” information.


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One time in Mexico I got sick as a dog. Must have eaten something not meant to eat. Doctor came to my room and helped me. He wouldn’t take any money for his services but I tipped him $20.00. Generally very giving people.


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Ah, the gringo resorts! Thank drug cartel money for that. Glad someone got something good from all that violence and destruction. During the 80’s and into the 90’s, Mexican drug lords often made as much from tourism as they did from narcotics. Maybe they still do, but people seemed to stop looking into it.


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We were staying at a friends house. We can’t afford to stay at a resort. We bought the food for 10 kids with two families. Fair exchange I thought. Nice people in Mexico.


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