In a previous commentary I proposed that universal health care is a human right, not a privilege, based in part on international treaties signed by representatives of the United States of America.
On the international front, most industrialized nations (except the United States) already insure all their citizens for routine and preventive medical services. For this reason, I’m going to fast forward past the ongoing, mostly irrational debate and assume that wiser Democratic heads will prevail, guaranteeing that all Americans will ultimately be provided with medical care via some yet to-be-determined reform legislation. This raises the question whether the 10-12 million or so illegal and undocumented immigrants should also receive non-emergency medical treatment.
From the purely human rights view, the answer should be “yes”. However, from a legal, financial, and political perspective, the answer is likely to be “no”. In fact, Democrats, including President Obama, are bending over backwards to explain that the pending medical proposals will not include care for illegal immigrants, except perhaps for their children.
Most Republicans and restrictionists, such as FAIR, backed by a recent Congressional Research Service Report, generally counter that loopholes will allow undocumented immigrants to get treatment anyway. So the question arises what should we do? Some argue that most children of illegal immigrants already get care via a scattered network of providers, and adults already receive emergency treatment (i.e. if they are in a car crash). However, if the cost of providing emergency treatment is more expensive and unsustainable than providing regular routine health care for American citizens without insurance, then the same is true for illegals. But what makes the argument even more compelling is that illegals are generally younger and healthier than native born Americans, hence they are likely to use health services less frequently; so the cost will be lower.
Conservatives counter that providing health care for the undocumented will only encourage more to migrate here illegally. That may be true. So, why not continue efforts to secure the border as we are already doing? If conservatives are correct, this should drastically reduce the influx of future illegals. However, since illegal migration is a global issue, the United States should make coverage for illegal immigrants contingent on other European Union countries enacting similar legislation. This would even the playing field internationally.
What do you think? Do you believe that undocumented immigrants should be entitled to free (or almost free) medical care if and when a health care reform bill is eventually passed in Congress?
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