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Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting John McCain supports a $250 million-a-year program to pay the hospital bills of illegal immigrants — a move likely to be viewed negatively by many conservatives.
The program would reimburse hospitals for the cost of treating illegals and has the support of many Republicans, as well as Democrat Barack Obama.
But Sen. McCain’s association with the program “underscores his rift on immigration with the right wing, which sees him as championing amnesty for illegal immigrants,” The Hill newspaper reports.
Mark Krikorian, executive director of the conservative Center for Immigration Studies, said: “It’s another reminder that he’s ‘Amnesty John.’”
McCain sponsored legislation with Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy offering a path to citizenship to many illegal immigrants. The bill did not pass, but McCain’s backing of the bill hurt his credibility with conservatives, and they “do not trust him on the issue,” according to The Hill.
Hospitals and ambulance services in Southwest border states gave more than $200 million in free emergency care to illegals in 2000, a congressional study found.
Congress agreed to reimburse a portion of these costs in 2003, and McCain supports extending the program, which is due to expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
A letter signed by McCain, Obama, and 13 other senators and sent to congressional leaders maintained that the funding “is vital to our states’ healthcare safety net.”
But according to Krikorian, immigration hard-liners view McCain’s support as a case of, “There he goes again.”
And their constructive alternative is to vote for Obama.
Now many may feel that a step back might give them a stronger run for 2012 or 2016, but they might find that they are falling further out of the discussion.
If then feds require the hospitals to treat them then they need to pay the bill;not leave the hospitals handing.Otherwsie tehy shpuld allow hospitals to refuse treatment.
Pharmacists can refuse to prescribe birth-control base on personal and/or religious convictions, why can't hospitals refuse treatment? If the seeker is in a grave state, the absolute minimum I can agree with in regard to life-saving techniques; beyond that is another ball game. And that goes for anyone, illegal or otherwise.
Exactly, texdav. If the government doesn't reimburse the hospitals for the illegals' care, the hospitals will recoup at least some of the cost by jacking up the bills of everyone else.
Exactly, texdav. If the government doesn't reimburse the hospitals for the illegals' care, the hospitals will recoup at least some of the cost by jacking up the bills of everyone else.
And this is something hospitals already do and have done for years.
Instead of fighting over who should pay the medical bills for illegals a better question would be....why treat them in the first place? Obviously if someone is in imminent danger of death or really in any type of a medical emergency then they should be treated. Afterwards, ICE should be called in and the person deported immediatly. I believe that would help ease the congestion in the ERs.
If a hospital is a Medicare provider they MUST provide stablizing treatment to anyone, regardless of their inability to pay.
Quote:
Hospitals and ambulance services in Southwest border states gave more than $200 million in free emergency care to illegals in 2000, a congressional study found.
Congress agreed to reimburse a portion of these costs in 2003, and McCain supports extending the program, which is due to expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
McCain isn't supporting medical care for illegals, he is supporting hospitals and ambulance services by providing funding to help defray the losses they suffer by providing care to illegal aliens.
That doesn't solve the problem... giving away money doesn't solve any problem... especially if you are giving away taxpayers money (i.e. SOMEONE else's money)... if the politicians are so generous to help out the hospitals perhaps they can raise the hundreds of millions of dollars to give to a problem that never stops... how about solving the problem in the first place? You know... the illegal problem... giving money away isn't going to solve the illegal immigration problem... and if you have to give away hundreds of millions of dollars... there is a BIG problem...
McCain could have TOTALLY used that issue against Obama if he was anti-illegal immigrants. Most of Americans are against it, and he would have had a lot more swing voters if he were able to harp on the issue.
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