New Report: Immigrants Largely Left Out of Federal Health Reform
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February 12, 2010
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Two million New York immigrants, both documented and undocumented, will continue to struggle to access health care even if federal health care reform is enacted, according to a new study released by New Yorkers for Accessible Health Coverage (NYFAHC) and the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC). Despite experts' claims that two-thirds of immigrants are residing lawfully, the report indicates they are largely absent from federal health reform plans, and that omission is costing New York billions. Noncitizens comprise 12 percent of New York State’s population but 29 percent of its uninsured population.
Mark Scherzer, NYFAHC's legislative counsel, says neither the House nor Senate health reform plans deals with the most-common barriers standing between non-citizens and health coverage.
"There are all sorts of rules, which inhibit immigrants from getting health coverage; even legal immigrants who pay taxes and work. If they haven't been employed long enough, they can be barred; and of course the undocumented immigrants are in far worse shape."
Senate Republicans say their goal is to ensure undocumented immigrants don't benefit from health care reform, but Scherzer says he does not understand the logic behind the Senate's proposal to prohibit undocumented New Yorkers from buying coverage as part of a national exchange.
"If you want who's here to have coverage, so they don't become burdens on the hospital system when they get sick, it seems ridiculous to prevent people from purchasing insurance coverage at full cost, out of their own pocket."
Scherzer says New York State pays over $1 billion each year for services for people who have no health coverage, while people with health insurance are bearing the burden of higher premiums. New York found that it was unconstitutional to require legal immigrants to wait five years to earn Medicaid coverage, and the state is providing coverage on its own.
Jenny Rejeske, NYIC's health advocacy coordinator, says, given the tough fiscal times all states are facing, Congress needs to abolish the five-year wait.
"We're doing that with New York-only money. We're not getting the federal Medicaid match to cover legal immigrants in their first five years, so that's another big reason we need this fix; as do a lot of other states, which are doing the right thing."
The report is available at w.thenyic.org/templates/documentFinder.asp?did=1154.