LATINO PERSPECTIVE-Of course immigration is an important issue. However, there are many other issues as important, and for some, even more important. Today I’d like to focus on healthcare.
According to a national survey of American Latinos from the Pew Research Center in 2012, 50 percent responded that health care is “extremely important” to them personally.
The Affordable Care Act has been really good for the country and particularly for American Latinos. However, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) specifically excluded undocumented immigrants from insurance coverage provided through the health care exchange, known as Covered California in the Golden State. An estimated three to four million people in the state will remain uninsured in spite of ACA, and almost a million of those will be undocumented residents eligible for coverage, save for their legal status.
A proposal to expand healthcare to Californians in the country illegally cleared the CA Senate in June, passing on a 28-11 vote and is heading to the Assembly.
Senate Bill 4 would allow undocumented immigrants to purchase health insurance on the state exchange, pending a federal waiver, and enroll eligible people under the age of 19 in Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for the poor. A capped number of undocumented adults would also be allowed participate, if additional funding is appropriated in the state budget.
State Senator Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, the measure’s author, said, “Ensuring that every child in California grows up healthy and with an opportunity to thrive and succeed is simply the right thing to do.”
The debate frequently turned to other intersecting issues, including Medi-Cal reimbursement rates. An effort to reverse a 10 percent cut to the payments from 2011 has been front and center at the Capitol during final budget negotiations, with many lawmakers arguing that doctors simply cannot afford to accept new Medi-Cal patients.
“If this bill were to be signed into law, it would only serve to exacerbate the problem and not fix it,” said Sen. Jeff Stone, R-Temecula. “This bill would only add hundreds of thousands of more patients to the roll with no one to care for them.”
Republican Sens. Andy Vidak of Hanford and Anthony Cannella of Modesto, who both represent swing agricultural districts, joined Democrats in voting yes on the bill.
“Taxpayers are already paying high healthcare costs for the undocumented Californians when they show up in our emergency rooms,” Vidak said.
So what do we do? Should we leave things as they are? Is Sen. Jeff Stone, R-Temecula, correct? Should we let the undocumented get sick and just go to the emergency room? Or is Senator Vidak right? Aren’t we already paying for the undocumented when they show up in our emergency rooms?
What is the right thing to do in the end? I think we already know the answer. Access to preventive care keeps people healthier by providing regular check-ups and screenings, and early diagnosis of health problems ensures those problems can be treated before they become overly expensive.
By ensuring everyone has access to healthcare, we can improve the health of our entire community, limit the overcrowding of emergency rooms, and reduce the costs of healthcare in California.
Undocumented people aren’t going anywhere, they are here to stay.
(Fred Mariscal came to Los Angeles from Mexico City in 1992 to study at the University of Southern California and has been in LA ever since. He is a community leader who serves as Vice Chair of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition and sits on the board of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council representing Larchmont Village. He was a candidate for Los Angeles City Council in District 4. Fred writes Latino Perspective for CityWatch and can be reached at: [email protected] )
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CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 67
Pub: Aug 18, 2015
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