some people need killin' On Dec 8, 8:05 pm, dick thompson <[email protected]> wrote: > Op-Ed Contributor > > Coverage Without Borders > > * Sign in to Recommend > * Twitter > * Sign In to E-Mail > > <http://www.nytimes.com/auth/login?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/...> > > * Print > > <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/opinion/08mahony.html?th=&emc=th&pa...> > > * Share > > <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/opinion/08mahony.html?th&emc=th#>Close > <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/opinion/08mahony.html?th&emc=th#> > o Linkedin > > <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/opinion/08mahony.html?th&emc=th#> > o Digg > > <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/opinion/08mahony.html?th&emc=th#> > o Facebook > > <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/opinion/08mahony.html?th&emc=th#> > o Mixx > > <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/opinion/08mahony.html?th&emc=th#> > o MySpace > > <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/opinion/08mahony.html?th&emc=th#> > o Yahoo! Buzz > > <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/opinion/08mahony.html?th&emc=th#> > o Permalink > > <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/opinion/08mahony.html?th&emc=th#> > o > > Article Tools Sponsored By > <http://www.nytimes.com/adx/bin/adx_click.html?type=goto&opzn&page=www...> > By ROGER MAHONY > Published: December 7, 2009 > > LOS ANGELES > > Skip to next paragraph > <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/opinion/08mahony.html?th&emc=th#sec...> > > Enlarge This Image > <javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/12/08/opinion/08oped_art.html', > '08oped_art', > 'width=570,height=600,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')> > <javascript:pop_me_up2('http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2009/12/08/opinion/08oped_art.html', > '08oped_art', > 'width=570,height=600,scrollbars=yes,toolbars=no,resizable=yes')> > Jeanne Verdoux > > Related > > Times Topics: Health Care Reform > <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealth...> > > AS the leaders of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops noted > last month, the current health care reform bills in Congress are > fundamentally flawed because they fall short in three critical areas: > the prohibition of federal financing for abortions and the protection of > current conscience laws; the inclusion of meaningful provisions to > ensure affordability; and the defense of immigrants' rights to health care. > > Although all three areas are critical for this proposed legislation to > be acceptable to the Catholic Church in our country, I would like to > focus on the lack of adequate health care for immigrants who live in our > midst but who do not yet have legal standing. > > The two bills are quite different. The Senate bill bars undocumented > immigrants from using even their own money to buy health insurance in > the government-sponsored marketplace, or exchange, being proposed. The > House bill allows undocumented immigrants to purchase health insurance > from the exchange, if they use their own money and receive no federal > subsidy. > > Most studies estimate that more than 10 million undocumented immigrants > live in our country. Many have been here for decades. The majority of > these immigrants live in "mixed families" --- some members of the family > were born here, while other relatives are here without documents. It is > unrealistic to think that these millions of people with roots deep in > their communities are somehow going to pack up and move back to their > country of origin --- whether that is Korea, the Philippines, Russia, > England, France or Mexico. Most have their children in local schools, > the vast majority of them have jobs here, and all are contributing to > the betterment of our nation. > > It makes no sense to deny this large population necessary health care > services. It certainly does not help Americans as a whole to remain > healthy when millions of people, including schoolchildren, cannot get > basic preventive care like immunizations and medications. > > When undocumented immigrants are intentionally excluded from health care > coverage, they are forced to go to the only place where they will be > accepted for care: trauma centers and emergency rooms --- the most > expensive health care delivery systems in the country. What a foolish > waste of money, particularly in a time of economic stress for everyone. > > Using their own money, undocumented immigrants could receive basic > health services through less expensive community clinics and doctors' > offices. Studies have shown > <http://ajph.aphapublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/99/7/1322> that > immigrants are generally younger and healthier than citizens, and use > health care facilities and resources less frequently. Giving them access > to less costly preventive care would help keep them that way. And by > paying into the system, immigrants would make health care less pricey > for all by spreading the risks and costs among a larger pool of > participants. > > At least the House bill allows undocumented immigrants to purchase > health insurance from the proposed exchange. It's difficult to > understand anti-immigrant groups' objections to this provision. No one > would be rewarded for lacking proper documentation, since undocumented > immigrants wouldn't be eligible for subsidies. > > The Senate bill takes us in the opposite direction and needs to be > changed. How is the health of the entire country helped when the Senate > will not even allow immigrants to use their own money to purchase their > health insurance? > > In many conversations with people around the country, I have found that > the dreadful anti-immigrant rhetoric that dominates talk shows does not > represent the views of a majority of Americans, who do not reject > immigrants out of hand as a burden. Instead, they want to find a way for > these people to emerge from the shadows and to begin down a path to > legal status. > > To deny our immigrant brothers and sisters basic health care coverage is > immoral. To allow people's basic health needs to be trumped by divisive > politics violates American standards of decency and compassion. We > should pass health care reform that provides access to all, in the > interests of the common good. We must also enact comprehensive > immigration reform that better balances our country's need for a stable > work force with the orderly flow of immigrants to help bring greater > prosperity to all Americans. > > Otherwise, in our country there will remain a permanent underclass left > standing in the waiting room, asking for a doctor's visit that will > never come. > > Roger Mahony is the cardinal archbishop of Los Angeles. > > article-sponsor.gif > < 1KViewDownload > > ch_quote_120x60anim_15k_2.gif > 14KViewDownload > > articleInline.jpg > 25KViewDownload
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