Robert Rector explains it all:
The health care bill recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 3962) clearly and directly contradicts the President’s declarations and promises. Under H.R. 3962:
- Illegal immigrants are clearly permitted to pur chase health insurance under the government health insurance exchange created by the bill.
- Illegal immigrants are permitted to receive cover age under the “public health insurance option” created in the bill.
- Illegal immigrants are ostensibly barred from receiving taxpayer-funded “affordability credits” to subsidize their health care, but the verifica tion procedures used to determine the legal sta tus of those who receive credits are weak and subject to fraud.
- The bill expands the Medicaid program. Illegal immigrants are nominally barred from receiving most Medicaid services, but the verification pro cedures used to determine the legal status of those who receive credits are also weak and sub ject to fraud.
- All illegal immigrant women who do not have private health insurance and who give birth inside the United States will have the full cost of childbirth paid by the U.S. taxpayers. There will be no effort to have the mother repay any of the cost. Given the fact that nearly 400,000 children are born inside the U.S. each year to illegal immi grant women, these costs could be quite large.
- The bill will provide tax credits to small busi nesses to subsidize the purchase of health insur ance for illegal immigrant employees. Under H.R. 3962, small businesses will be given tax credits to encourage them to purchase health coverage for employees; because firms are not required to verify the legal status of subsidized employees, both legal and illegal employees will receive taxpayer support.
- Illegal immigrants will continue to receive so-called emergency medical services under the Medicaid program.