Health Care and Illegal Immigration

A lot of fuss has been raised over democratic proposals for providing universal health care. A considerable point of contention on the issue has been how illegal immigrants will be treated under the bills that are now being debated, specifically whether they will be able to receive government health care paid for by tax dollars. Much has been made about this issue in recent days, particularly by Republican opponents. Despite arguments over whether or not the proposed bill does indeed offer coverage to undocumented aliens, both sides seem to agree on one point; doing so is a wrong. This is evident - ironically perhaps- in the recent outburst of Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina, who's outburst in a joint-session of congress made his opposition to such a notion clear, and that such a provision was inadvisable. President Obama's terse but firm rebuke made it clear the bill did not provide care to illegal aliens. Implicit in this is that fact that, like his rash detractor, the President also feels that illegals are not entitled to government financed health care. An article posted on Newsweek's website contests this point. Citing financial benefits such as reduced cost -going so far at one point in the article to claim that insuring the typical undocumented worker would cost less than half of what it would to insure an average natural born citizen- the piece, written by Andrew Ramano suggest that insuring illegals would actually help stabilize the proposed system. By stabilizing the cost of providing to health care with seniors with that of low cost workers who do not reside in the country much past the working age, an equilibrium is created that would lead to generally lower premiums. The article concludes by stating that despite the benefits covering illegals would offer, doing so is a political impossibility given the political climate. The sentiments of Congressmen Wilson on President Obama are follow in line with general public opinion that illegals are not entitled to American health care, which is in turn part of a general animosity directed toward illegals. Intentionally covering undocumented workers simply isn't politically viable. I am reminded of Massey's readings, particularly "The New Immigration and Ethnicity in The United States." in which he discusses white non-Hispanics and their fear of being replaced in the social hierarchy. To me, it seems that affording illegals Health Care coverage would lend a certain level of legitimacy in regards to being part of American society. Whether or not this is good or bad is up to personal opinion, but I can't help think that such legitimacy would strike at the fears Massey discusses in his article's opening passages.