REPORT SHOWS MAKING IMMIGRANTS INELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL MEDICAL BENEFITS COSTS GOVERNMENT MONEY

The New York Immigrant Coalition has released a report on the results of welfare reform on immigrants’ ability to obtain needed medical care.  According to the report, titled “Welfare Reform and Health Care: The Wrong Prescription for Immigrants,” cutting lawful immigrants off from Medicare and Medicaid has not resulted in any savings, and is, in fact, costing the government money. 

In 1996, Congress passed extensive welfare reform legislation.  One of the things the new law did was make immigrants ineligible for federal medical benefits other than emergency care until they have been in the US for five years.  Rather than welfare reform translating to cost savings, the report shows that by denying immigrants access to preventive care and forcing them to seek medical care at emergency rooms, the changes are actually costing the government money.

The report estimates that there are about 52,000 immigrants in New York City who would have been eligible for Medicaid before welfare reform.  It says that it will cost the state and federal governments million more to provide emergency room treatment this year than it would have to provide full Medicaid coverage.  At least 6,000 immigrants will seek emergency treatment of conditions that could have been prevented with access to preventive care.