Question:
Passports for Health Care?
Answer:
Passports for Health Care
A harmful new requirement that Medicaid recipients provide proof of
citizenship
UNDER A NEW federal law that takes effect today, poor Americans will
be required to produce proof of citizenship to be eligible for
Medicaid. This may sound like a sensible safeguard against providing
government-paid health benefits to illegal immigrants who fraudulently
claim eligibility. It isn't. The new law and the unduly stringent
rules that the Bush administration has produced to implement it are
unnecessary, expensive and mean-spirited. They pose the threat that
millions of people entitled to receive Medicaid benefits will be
denied coverage.
The political benefits of this latest form of immigrant-bashing are
obvious. Rep. Charles Whitlow Norwood Jr. (R-Ga.), a chief sponsor,
cited "the outright theft of Medicaid benefits by illegal aliens." But
there's scant evidence of widespread fraud under the current system.
In all but four states, Medicaid applicants attest, under penalty of
perjury, that they are citizens, and officials can ask for
documentation if there is reason for suspicion. As Mark B. McClellan,
administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, wrote
in response to an inspector general's examination of the issue last
year, "The report does not find particular problems regarding false
allegations of citizenship, nor are we aware of any."
If the problem is unproven, the solution will be expensive -- both for
the states that are required to enforce it (or risk losing millions in
federal funding) and the recipients who have to obtain documents. In
fact, this new requirement runs precisely contrary to recent efforts
to streamline Medicaid enrollment procedures to make certain that all
eligible recipients get coverage.
But the biggest risk is that, rather than preventing fraud, the
provision will result in the denial of benefits to eligible Americans
who can't come up with the required proof. After all, the typical
Medicaid recipient doesn't have a passport, the preferred form of
proof. Also, many elderly African Americans were born at home and were
never issued birth certificates.
Just one more reason that we need a tamper-proof,
non-reproducable, I.D. method for ALL our legal citizens.
There is a simple solution. Be legal,become a citizen. learn to speak
English or go back to where you came from.
your rhetorical questions are sounding more and more
like the floor of the Senate.......
Are you sure you aren't a politician raising questions a concerned
American would think of ?
Can these questions have answers which all Americans can reach
a consesnus on ?
Is it possible for me to write a sentence without ending it with
a preposition......... uhhh, from ?
I work for a public school district. Some time ago, federal laws were made
to make smoking illegal anywhere on school grounds. Since that time, no
attempt is made to prevent students from smoking other than to say, "Put
that out!" Those who hide in boiler rooms/other places inaccessible to
students continue smoking at will.
If this issue were pressed, we could loose federal financial assistance.
The
issue will not pressed and neither will be the one you fear. Laws are made
and enforced as a business. Someone is making money off the law.
"....In the sky there is no distinction of east and west;
people create the distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them
to be true...."
The Washington Post didn't get it right...as per usual. There are very
few US citizens who don't have proof of their nationality someplace.
However, it does put an extra burden on health care institutions to
require proof of citizenship. I have no problem with a biometric card,
that is separate from our social security number. But, it would take a
huge new program and bureaucracy to create them. Who will pay for that?
If you think there is some sort of divine providence controlling
anything, you
must also believe in santa and the easter bunny.
What makes you think any supreme being (if that's what you think is in
charge)
would have anything to do with a nation like ours ?
It does nothing new to providers. Period. Providers are still paid
pursuant to a valid MEDICAID issued card.
Medicaid at the state level is obligated to document the eligibility
status of all who receive a card. This is not new. There are
residency status and fininacial status requirements.
Medicaid at the state level NOW will be REQUIRED to verify citizenship
of recipients claiming eligibility because they are citizens to receive
the Federal matching grant for state expenditures The Federal law no
longer recognizes personal affidavits as proof of citizenship for the
purpose of reimbursement of the federal cost share.
This is all that has changed. For a state to receive the federal cost
sharing amount of Medicaid expenditures, the state must now verify
citizenship status of recipients claiming to be citizens. A simple -
Si, I am - is no longer enough.
The law does NOT require recipients to be citizens. The law does
preclude states from providing medical services to non-citizens or even
to illegal residents.
The less personal information about you that is available to others the
better your privacy is protected.
how about instituting a special tax applicable only to illegal aliens.
The billions generated could fund almost any program. Since no one really
wants to solve the problem and some seem to be pushing for more protection
and rights for illegals then maybe we should just join in. Oh, let's just
really throw our dicks to the wind and start collecting those hugh coyote
fees. The illegal alien could just walk up to special entry points, pay us
$2500 rather than his coyote and give the illegal transportation to his
chosen destination. No more deaths in the desert, no more fear of coyotes,
no more fear of police, no more uncertainties, just a pleasurable and
relaxing experience. We would have a better handle on the location of
illegals and colecting a special tax would be relatively simple. Not only
that, there is a hugh bonus. Can you imagine the world-wide PR coup? I'll
bet everyone would finally like us, I mean really like us.
