Colorado - Illegal Immigrants no longer eligble for state health care

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Aug 25, 2006

When corporate America can abuse, shortchange and underpay it's workers, it will. It as seen as "good management".

Don't be so quick to lay this at the 'evil Republicans' feet. The reason why this is such a huge problem is because it's a 'perfect storm' that both parties have a vested interest in creating.

Democrats also turn a blind eye, in the hopes of creating a voting bloc.

There's plenty of blame to go around.

~faith,

Timothy.

charebec65 · Aug 25, 2006

...Nevertheless, the line has to be drawn somewhere. I often wonder how many illegals would cross the border if all of these free services weren't available. To a certain extent, free healthcare, free schools, etc. have got to be driving illegal immigration as much as anything else.
Afterall, they're being paid slave wages. If everything else wasn't free ... maybe it wouldn't be as worthwhile to come here.
:typing

I agree with the first paragraph....... My only question is about the slave wages. I'll not argue that they're making much less than typical. However, how is it they walk around with huge wads of cash in their pockets? How are they driving such nice cars? Cars that I can't afford and my DH makes good money.

I live in a city of about 17,000. Our total minority population is about 5% if I had to guess. We have a bit of a slummy area of the city like every other city. It's weird to drive by one of these more run down homes and in the driveway are $30,000 + vehicles in the driveway.....and yard since there are 4 or 5 of them, too many to fit in the driveway.

Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with Hispanics or anyone else. My beef is with anyone, from any other country, who is here illegally. If you want to live in the US, be here legally, obey the laws and pay taxes like I do.

Insofar is illgals getting welfare, etc. All they have to to is collapse a foot within the US border and deliver their baby which makes that baby a citizen and eligible for welfare, food stamps, medicaid, wic, etc. Our laws are just way too lax. If you get caught in another country beyond your Visa, they'll imprison you.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Aug 25, 2006

BUT they are paying taxes into the system through payroll withholding.

Illegal immigrants also tend to utilize more forms of public assistance than their measly payroll deductions realistically pay for.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Aug 25, 2006

Moving three or more families into single family homes causing sanitation problems for commumities????

This is a rampant problem in my California hometown. Six families moved into an 1,100 square foot 3-bedroom home across the street. To create more space for all of these adults and children, a handyman converted the 2-car garage into three more tiny bedrooms. What amazes me is the fact that all of the adults drove newer, nice cars. Parking was also a huge issue, as there are only 2 parking spaces in the driveway and 3 parking spaces in front of the house. Since the house only had 1 bathroom, it was common to see adults and children urinating into buckets on the side of the house.

charebec65 · Aug 25, 2006

I don't think anyone should be turned away if they are in a life threatening situation, but I also would like to see that, at some point during their visit, the person should be asked to produce verification that they are here legally. .

Every time I go to the hospital or a testing center I have to produce my driver's license before receiving tx. Though I was born in the town in which I live, I still had to produce a birth certificate and social security card to get t his license.

My teenage son had to be seen in the ER a few months ago. He was 18 (an adult) but still in high school and still on our insurance. He had to produce his driver's license before receiving tx.

I think they do this to avoid insurance fraud but why not make it common practice everywhere?

charebec65 · Aug 25, 2006

These cashiers, bakery workers, meat clerks, and produce stockers were being paid wages as high as $19 hourly with no formal education. In addition, their health insurance and pensions were free. These grocery store folks had that almighty sense of entitlement, as if their lack of education and skills were really worth $19 in the labor market.

Wow.... while my son was in surgery the other day I went down to the cafeteria to get a bite to eat. The hospital's job postings were near the cafeteria. Being a new PN graduate I was checking out the listings. They're offering $13/hour for LPN's and $18.50 for RN's $19 an hour to run boxes over a scanner and bag a few groceries?

charebec65 · Aug 25, 2006

Don't be so quick to lay this at the 'evil Republicans' feet. The reason why this is such a huge problem is because it's a 'perfect storm' that both parties have a vested interest in creating.
Democrats also turn a blind eye, in the hopes of creating a voting bloc.
There's plenty of blame to go around.
~faith,
Timothy.

"Evil republican" was used in her post? I thought the post was talking about corporations.....and their bigwigs

hope3456, ASN, RN · Aug 25, 2006

Very poor public policy because while some family members may be "illegal" what will happen to their children who are born here? (They are citizens by definition)
If we cut off access to vaccination programs we are putting other children at risk
I am not advocating an open door for immigration but I do think that we need to provide basic medical care for people. The demand for illegal workers is driven by business. Make it very expensive for businesses to be caught hiring illegals and we will reduce the number of immigrants.

All children can get vaccinated through public health service (funded by federal dollars) for minimal cost - no matter what their residency status.

I know this b/c I took my 4 mo. infant there to get the rotavirus vaccine - my insurance wouldnt cover it. It is pretty obvious this agency 'bends over backwards' to try to get kids immunized and to keep them current. Virtually no questions were asked - I didn't have to prove income or anything. I just explained the situation and they gave her the vaccination along with alot of encouragement to keep her current.

The dr. office charges $70 per dose (they need 3) and public health - $15 per dose.

However, Colorado is like 49th in the nation for children being current on thier vaccinations.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Aug 25, 2006

Wow.... while my son was in surgery the other day I went down to the cafeteria to get a bite to eat. The hospital's job postings were near the cafeteria. Being a new PN graduate I was checking out the listings. They're offering $13/hour for LPN's and $18.50 for RN's $19 an hour to run boxes over a scanner and bag a few groceries?

Yep. Unionized grocery stores pay high wages for semi-skilled and unskilled work (cashiers, stockers, meat clerks, deli servers, produce clerks).

These same workers would be paid $7 to $9 at Wal-Mart, Target or K-Mart.

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Aug 25, 2006

Whew! What a long thread!

I live in Southern Az, so I'm quite familiar with the crisis that having an abundance of illigal immigrants causes. First, they are usually bing paid under the table-so no taxes are coming into our system. Second they forge plenty of necessary documents to obtain our health insurance (AHCCS) food stamps, and other assorted public funds. Nevermind our crime rates here :car theft, home invasions, assaults...

We have a metro population of nearly 1 million, but we only have one Level-1 trauma center becaause the other had to close on account of the massive amounts of money lost on illegal health care. I see it everyday. Everyday in the ER waiting room, unconscious & unresponsive border crossers in the ICU for weeks, filling up the urgent care lobby, and overwhelming the waiting rooms. Do you know how many times I have to search the hospital for my pts family members because the waiting room is filled with one family?

Sometimes I feel as if our communities are barely surviving as a result of the massive toll they cause on our society. All this and they actually have the audacity to march in our streets carrying the Mexican flag while demanding, yes, demanding immigrant rights.

Unbelievable.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Aug 25, 2006

I am just asking people to remember that the parents may be here illegally but that if we cut off public food stamps or WIC to families with children that are born in the US that we are harming children who are our own citizens.

I think the real challenge will end up being how are we going to temper justice with mercy for those families with children? If these families have been leading otherwise law abiding lives paying taxes, being good neighbors, staying out of trouble can't we as a society find a way to help them find a legal status that doesn't harm their children?

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Aug 25, 2006

If these families have been leading otherwise law abiding lives paying taxes, being good neighbors, staying out of trouble can't we as a society find a way to help them find a legal status that doesn't harm their children?

How can they be law abiding people when they are living here illegally? By definition, they are constantly breaking the law.

Do you know how many pregnant Mexican women have suffered and died in our blazing desert because of the thought of citizenship and all its perks for their unborn child?