Immigration and Healthcare

On Monday Obama assured the world that he would tackle Immigration reform. Well maybe some time next year anyway. Then he took to the air burning off the JP-8 to get to the Town Hall Meetings, to promote and grandstand the virtues of a deeply flawed bill.

Health care has to come before Immigration reform, this is the current clear line of priority presented by our president. Obama is going around the country to tout the health care reform bill and attempt to convince those of us who are the unbelievers. Immigration reform will not be tackled until at least 2010, after the Health care reform bill has hypothetical passed.

It is strange that very few are willing to talk about the connection between the two. Perhaps it is because it isn't "politically correct" to point out how much illegal immigration cost in terms of health care every year.

"In Texas, where the state comptroller estimates illegal immigrants cost hospitals $1.3 billion in 2006, the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston is considering denying cancer care to such immigrants." (From USA Today)

1.3 Billion dollars in one state for one year. In 2006 at that, before bubbles started popping and we were all forced to admit the economy was slipping into recession. Before more and more people were unemployed and were forced to use ER's as a public clinic.

Just like the cost of malpractice insurance this cost to provide services to the those who reside in our nation illegally is passed on to the rest of us in the form of higher health care cost, higher premiums, and higher taxes to support community hospitals.

So I have a suggestion... Lets make it easier to get a migrant worker visa. (Heresy...I know!) Lets make it possible for these folks who are hard working men and women to have health care benefits and pay taxes. That's right _Pay Taxes_ which helps pay for the community clinics and hospitals that are currently suffering due to the financial burden. It also protects them from exploitation while protecting the jobs of American citizens because they would have to be paid the same minimum wage and have the same legal recourse against abuse. The same protection in regards to workers comp, access to insurance for themselves and their families.

Simply put it's a multi-billion dollar hole in logic to say that immigration has to take second chair to health care, as they have profound effects on one another.