WASHINGTON – Fox News and the Daily Wire highlighted legislation U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced to prevent liberal states like California from forcing American citizens in other states to subsidize state programs that expand Medicaid benefits to illegal immigrants.
“Medicaid for migrants is a magnet for more illegal immigration,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This is terrible public policy for California citizens who depend on Medicaid, middle-class families paying taxes, and state debt. Taking care of the most vulnerable Americans should be our priority. Attempting to provide health care to everyone around the globe for free is not possible or feasible. Compassion that cannot be sustained is not compassion.”
Cassidy Introduces Bill to Stop Federal Tax Dollars from Going to Health Care for Illegal Immigrants
Medicaid for Illegal Immigrants Would Be a ‘Magnet’ for More Illegal Crossings, Cassidy Says
January 11, 2024
“Top Republican on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., is introducing a bill Thursday to prohibit liberal states from forcing American citizens in other states to subsidize state programs that expand public health care benefits to illegal immigrants.
“The legislation, called the Protect Medicaid Act, would prevent federal funds from being used to administer state Medicaid benefits provided to noncitizens by American citizens. If a state opts to extend Medicaid benefits to undocumented residents, the bill mandates that the state bears the full financial responsibility without imposing any costs on taxpayers from other states.
“While federal law already prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving Medicaid, certain states, such as California, circumvent this restriction by using state funds from their public healthcare system, known as Medi-Cal, to extend Medicaid benefits to individuals without legal immigration status.
“‘Medicaid for migrants will be a magnet for more people to come to that state illegally,’ Cassidy told Fox News last week. ‘As well as running up their state debt.’
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“In the Golden State, nearly 700,000 illegal immigrants between the ages of 26 and 49 qualify, as of Jan. 1, for health care services, which will cost California taxpayers an estimated $3.1 billion. For those living in California illegally within this age range, it translates to approximately $4,058 per year in medical coverage subsidies funded by the state’s general fund.
“Newsom announced California would begin providing health care coverage to additional illegal immigrants on top of the 1.1 million already in the Medi-Cal system. More than one-third of California’s shrinking population of 39 million is enrolled in the Medi-Cal program, which also covers transgender procedures such as sex change surgeries.”
January 11, 2024
“Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced a bill on Thursday that would block states from being able to use federal funding to subsidize state programs that provide health care for illegal immigrants.
“The legislation, known as the ‘Protect Medicaid Act,’ would prevent federal Medicaid ‘funding for the administrative costs of providing health benefits to individuals who are unauthorized immigrants.’ Co-sponsors of the legislation include Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Barrasso (R-WY), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS).
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“The bill would also mandate that the inspector general for the Department of Health Care and Human Services produce a report on states that fund health care for illegal immigrants.
“The report would provide, ‘a description of States’ methods of financing State programs that provide health benefits to noncitizens who are ineligible for medical assistance due to not having a satisfactory immigration status, including through the increased use of provider taxes and intergovernmental transfers to finance the non-Federal share of expenditures under the State Medicaid program for medical assistance provided to individuals who are not so ineligible.’
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“The legislation comes as the U.S. southern border has been inundated with a surge of illegal immigrants. In December, Border Patrol recorded about 300,000 foreign national encounters, an all-time high. A report from last year estimated that illegal immigration could cost American taxpayers up to $451 billion.”
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