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Health Care for illegal immigrants could cost hundreds of millions

May 4, 2015

moneyThe cost of extending state-subsidized healthcare coverage to illegal immigrants is slated to cost California as much as $740 million annually, according to a Senate fiscal analysis released Monday. [LA Times]

Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) introduced SB 4 last December. SB 4 is Lara’s second attempt to provide health care coverage to immigrants who are not covered under the federal Affordable Care Act.

According to researchers at UC Berkeley and UCLA, about 1.8 million people who are in the country illegally lack healthcare coverage and around 1.5 million of them would qualify for Medi-Cal.

The report estimates that between 50 to 60 percent of eligible immigrants will enroll in the healthcare program at a cost of between $280 million to $740 million annually.


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Legalize marijuana and tax the hell out of it. Defer the money from the Mexican drug cartel and put it into immigrant healthcare.


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We would save millions if we paid for the plane ticket to Mexico, the medical expenses provided there and then the return flight for the illegals. This option should be considered if we are required to fund the health benefits for illegals.


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In all honesty, Illegals do not understand why “white People” are so hostile toward them. I know, I speak to them about the issue.In their native tongue. They are shocked when I tell them that not everyone gets all the “Free stuff”. They take the “Free stuff” because it is an entitlement that they are offered, and since it is offered, they take it. Why not, right? They come here for a better life for their kids, an in their home countries, they could never have the lives there that they can make for themselves here.


When I have explained to latinos the sentiment “white people” have toward latinos who come to this country illegally and take, they are initally shocked, then are quiet. What can they say? I tell them, well now that you are here, get yourself legal, learn english, and be the best little US citizen you can be. And if that makes me a little racist, oh well. I am trying to help them understand why they may be feeling hostility, help them to fit in to society. That is what I feel my job is as a nurse. Maybe then they will become more productive members of society, pay taxes, you know….


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Oh, the poor innocents who had no idea…………


Give it up, CCRN, I too speak to and employ in their native language (and Venezuelan Castallan drives me crazy as a native English speaker) and these people KNOW they violated our laws and borders, they KNOW they are taxing our system with their freebies, WIC and Cal Fresh. And quit mentioning “white” people. It’s legal deserving citizens, legally admitted foreigners, versus a HORDE of illegal border crashers and felons.


Don’t make them out as innocents.


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There are no ‘white’ people unless they are albino.


Say what they are: PINK PEOPLE ! PINKISTS ! That’s their shade !


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I am not really saying it is an innocent attitude. It’s more of an attitude of, “well, it’s a free entitlement, and I qualify, and I was told I could sign up, so I did.” “I didn’t know everyone didn’t get this service. I just thought all ‘white people’ were just racist against hispanics and didn’t like us because we were latino.”


I am just relaying the sentiment. I am not saying I agree with it. I was surprised that there was a segment of undocumented people walking around with a chip on their shoulder because they thought “white people” were racist, when it is not a racist issue. The issue is that US citizens are angry that non citizens are receiving services that are draining the taxpayers at a rate that is unsustainable.


You know, I am told in Canada, the government gives their citizens a certain “stipend” per month. I don’t know how it works. I think illegals assumed EVERY family got WIC or were eligible, does that make sense? When I was pregnant with my youngest child, an illegal woman was surprised that I did not get WIC, and asked how I paid for formula…..


“white people” is not my word. “White people” is how latinos see those they feel who mistreat “them”. This is not an assumption of mine; this is from conversations I have actually had with people, over a period of time, in attempts to assist California undocumented become more self reliant people.


Illegals will continue to flood this country as long as we provide “free stuff”. I think that the ONE thing that should happen is that if we are forced to provide healthcare is that we fingerprint these guys, give them a number attached to the fingerprint AT THE HOSPITAL or medical provider. When they file taxes, they now have to fingerprint. Maybe then the IRS can get back some money and accurately count and document the income of illegals, track families accurately. Match husbands to wives.


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Double….no triple the cost of my veggies and it’s still cheaper than giving Free Health Care to Illegal Immigrants.

Give them a bus Ticket home.


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Rich in MB,


Whose going to bend over in the fields so you can have your tripled cost veggies? You, or maybe some of your family members?


It’s so easy to pick out the non-christians here on Cal Coast News with how they outright disparage immigrants.


Jesus said: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless.” ( Proverbs 31:8)


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Ted, there are LOTS OF JOBS that require back breaking work! WHY are we sooooooo sympathic to the field workers??? Workfare should be implemented to get some of the lazy rears that sit at home and collect welfare and food stamps. I’ve worked in the fields, and yes, it is a hard way to make a living HOWEVER, there are other professions that are just as hard and miserable and people are doing them…AMERICAN CITIZENS are doing them. Secondly, why it is that THEIR families are MORE IMPORTANT THAN MINE? We work hard for our money and the Gov’t takes it and gives it to people who have broken our laws??? Why should I have to give up my tax dollars to support these people? I am really sick and tired of their families being more important when I’M TRYING TO make it better for MY FAMILY. My veggies will be harvested…you can bet the farmers are going to figure something out either “mechanically” or maybe the Gov’t should make the low-risk criminals WORK for their incarceration – yes, haul their butts out the the field and make them work and help pay-off their debt to society. And BTW….I AM a Christian!


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TiaMiaOhMy,


WHAT?! You say you’re a Christian, NOT!


Since when can you, as an “alleged Christian,” usurp the following godly inspired passages like you did in your dissertation above ranting about God’s creation from South of the border? Within said passages, there is absolutely no wiggle room, nor is there any quid pro quo as you want to believe there should be. The bottom line is that Jesus says to take care of anyone in need, period!


“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.” (Psalm 82:3)


“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” (Proverbs 19:17)


“But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” ( Luke 14:13-14)


“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you.” ( Leviticus 25:35-36)


“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” (1 John 3:17)


Jesus said: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless.” ( Proverbs 31:8)


“For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I COMMAND YOU, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ (Deuteronomy 15:11)


I will pray for you tonight in the hopes that you will see the light that the word of our Christian Hebrew God so rightfully gives, if one actually reads their bible.


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Selah, Brother Ted.


You say some prayers, I’ll find some rope to provide the hypocrites aid in their own salvation !


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And assist in our unemployment rate!


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Break the law. Be a criminal. Get rewarded.


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It’s hard to explain that to our kids.

Right is now wrong, and wrong is now right.


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Seriously???? Why do we continue to support and reward ILLEGAL immigration? Who in the hell is going to pay for this?

Where is the money going to come from? From the ghost ridership of the bullet train to nowhere?

Good grief, you can’t make this stuff up…no one would believe it.

Maybe the proposed $10,000.00 fines for wasting water that Moonbeam is proposing will help foot the bill.

California has certainly become nothing more than theater of the absurd.

God help us.


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Oh that’s easy…

Democratic Voter Outreach!


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That makes sense. I work 40-60 hours a week, have never been unemployed since the age of 16, still Can’t afford the “affordable care act” insurance and fined $ if I don’t have insurance. But, if you break the law, sneak into our country, then breed like rabbits, we should pay for your food and healthcare. Perfectly logical. These so called “researchers” have left out the fact that Illegals already have health coverage for pregnant illegals. They get free full medical check ups and hospital coverage, also free of charge. Their children, now citizens, get medi -cal after birth. Call me prejudice but when is America going to look out for the Americans? Press 1 for English.


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Considering the benefits, labor and services they provide while performing jobs that are

back-breaking, health-hazardous, even dangerous while benefiting our economy – a bargain!


You don’t see people lining up to work these jobs in the fields, harvests, factories, sweat-shops,

cutting lawns of those who still have one (some people still do)…


Seems like this is a bargain, also avoid the occasional visit to the E.R. where cost are so

inflated, even native-born can barely pay, nor afford it.

Nobody goes to the E.R. for fun, giggles.


They do pay taxes, contribute to our Social Security, are unlikely to ever benefit from it in the

long run. That is, unless their employer has them working “under the table”; in that case,

who’s abusing the system..? Thoughts to ponder. Looking forward to your “Thumbs down”!


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You don’t frequent the ER much willnose, do you?


“Undocumented” LOVE the ER. LOVE IT. It is “free”.


Undocumented immigrants take out more in “free” services than they will EVER pay in taxes. Medi-cal and medicare benefits, WIC, SNAP (food stamps), free school lunches, public education, SDI, SSI, Section 8, you name it, they can receive it with a “qualifying” child, aka, “anchor baby”.


Now, the “they do work Americans won’t do” is a fallacy. Americans USED to do that work. My parents and grandparents did that work until they worked their way up and out of the fields. And guess what? They did it WITHOUT government subsidies!!!! OMG!!


I am sick of the politicially correct jargon. Illegal/undocumented immigrants are no more hardworking than anyone else. Sorry to burst your bubble. We just subsidize the field work with housing, WIC, and other benefits to make that minimum wage job in to a $20 an hour + job when you add up all the “free” stuff……


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willnosesays:


Nobody goes to the E.R. for fun, giggles. I’m sure CentralcoastRN can attest to the fact that illegal immigrants use hospitals as their personal physicians because its FREE to them while US citizens put off care because it is not affordable and can bankrupt the average working person. If an American citizen has a devastating illness they can be in debt the rest of their lives, lose everything. Yet an Illegal can rack up endless hospital bills and never pay a dime. So who pays? The legal Americans. Raise my taxes please. I have an idea for you willnose and others who feel we should pay for illegal expenses. On your tax returns they should have a box by the donations section for you to check pay 10% of your earnings to the illegal cause. I for one work to hard to support my own family and chose not to have a litter of bambinos for others to support. Pay for your own kids, medical and food. Stop enabling and rewarding illegal actions and try rewarding hard working law abiding citizens.


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The headline should read, Health Care for illegal immigrants already costs hundreds of millions, so now we want to reward them with even more benefits, for breaking the law. So, how about if I rob a bank, I get to keep the money. Logical equality.


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Given that the illegal immigrants are here and getting free health care in the ER, is is cheaper to give them health care coverage and maybe greatly reduce their use of the free ER services? I don’t know the answer to that question — it is not rhetorical.


This issue is not just a matter of moral right or wrong. I don’t know about you but I don’t want a disease-ridden illegal immigrant population which could create wider health hazards. Unless we find a way to effectively reduce illegal immigration to a trickle, we need to find a way to deal with some of the problems that can accompany them. I would prefer that we find the cheapest ways (without getting short-sighted) and not worry about their status as illegals while dealing with those problems.


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WHY is it that the people in office keep “giving away the farm”? And all the while MY health insurance premiums – to keep my same plan – would have cost me over $600 MORE A MONTH!! So, I had to opt for a worse plan that still ran me over $400 MORE A MONTH ($1249.00) before the “un”Affordable CRAP Act (ObamaCare)! I paid an EXTRA $4,800 this year for WORSE coverage and lost 3 of our family doctors out of 6 because they won’t accept our private pay plan because it’s an ACA compliant plan. And now were going to be giving even MORE “incentives” and perks for coming here ILLEGALLY! Free education, free medical, free dental, free lunches…I just don’t understand? And, yeah, someone’s going to gripe about how they wash our cars, pick our fields…well, BEFORE the illegals came other people did it – OF ALL NATIONALITIES — there were Oakies, and Arkies and others. And, yes, it’s a hard job, working in the fields, but there are so many OTHER JOBS that are just as laborous and dirty. Mine workers, coal workers, construction – many jobs that are back breaking and long hours. Why so much sympathy for PEOPLE who BREAK OUR LAWS!?!?! I think Senator Lara should move to another country if he’s so set on helping the people who are coming here illegally. Maybe he could try to CHANGE THEIR COUNTRY and leave ours the hell alone!! JERK!


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