Debate Heats Up On Healthcare For Illegal Immigrants ["Debate"?]

LATimes ^ | August 10, 2009

[Steelfish]

Debate heats up on healthcare for illegal immigrants

House Speaker Pelosi has said that they would not be covered under overhaul proposals, but activists say medical care should not be denied to the sick, no matter their status.

By Antonio Olivo

August 10, 2009

Reporting from Chicago -- Pushing around a cart filled with steamed corn, sliced cucumbers and other street food, Omar Castillo is the embodiment of what has become a third rail in the healthcare debate.

The 19-year-old, who received a kidney transplant last year, is in the U.S. illegally and has no ready access to long-term medical care. So peddling snacks is how he pays for the expensive drugs he needs to stay healthy.

To cover the needs of an estimated 6.8 million uninsured illegal immigrants, some advocates have proposed broadening the healthcare overhaul proposals now before Congress. But fierce opposition has kept the idea off the table.

Castillo received his transplant and a year of free medicine as part of a hospital study at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago after lobbying by Latino activists and a call from the governor's office. With the study over, his last free prescription is running out.

"We don't know what we'll do when the medicine is gone," said Castillo, holding two nearly empty bottles of the immunosuppressants he takes to ward off an organ rejection.

It is immoral, immigration activists say, for hospitals and doctors -- as well as a nation -- to deny healthcare to the seriously ill, no matter their legal status.

[Frantzie]

Deport them. It is immoral that law abiding Americans should be taxed to provide ENDLESS benefits and FREEBIES to criminals who are breaking the law.

The illegals are wrecking the health system, the educational system and the prison system plus the integrity of our elections and government.

[HiTech RedNeck]

At least he is able to come up with the dough — we need a more piteous story.

Why can’t Mexico be billed for this kind of thing. Then let Mexico worry about getting it back. This is silly.

[wku man]

It is immoral, immigration activists say, for hospitals and doctors -- as well as a nation -- to deny healthcare to the seriously ill, no matter their legal status."

These are the same Commie sh**bird SOBs who scream "you can't legislate morality" whenever abortion or homo marriage is brought up.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[Jim from C-Town]

ARE WE EXPECTED TO CARE FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD? AT WHAT POINT CAN WE SAY THAT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? NO WONDER THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS ARE IN SUCH POOR FINANCIAL CONDITION.

[Seaplaner]

Illegal aliens would (either by black-letter law or eventually via law suit) be covered under the bill.

It's the Democrat plan.

Then, throngs of new illegals with serious medical issues will storm our fine Country, and our hospitals and clinics (but not the facilities reserved for Members of Congress, of course).

It's the Democrat plan.

Stay well, my FRiends.

.

[ruination]

We don't know what we'll do when the medicine is gone.

What about starting to build a viable country of your own, rather than bailing on it at the first opportunity and decamping to the U.S.?

[socialismislost]

Illegals already cost our system so much. Now Obama wants to Legalize it? Just unbelievable. Between schools, crime and free medical care, illegals have cost this country extreme amounts of money. Same crappy immigration policy. Same financal criminals running the show. Obama is a disaster.

[goldfinch]

Liberals keep telling us Cuba has excellent free health care. I suggest we send our sick illegals to Cuba for treatment...on a one-way ticket, of course.

[kcvl]

What about LEGAL citizens, who pay taxes in this country, who were DENIED a kidney transplant because this ILLEGAL got one?!

Why doesn’t the media do a story on the child that was denied the kidney because the ILLEGL TOOK IT?!

http://tinyurl.com/kkgcbe

[kcvl]

Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s office helped Omar Castillo (third from the right) receive a kidney transplant last summer despite Castillo’s status at the time as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico.

But a simple Internet search reveals several Chicago-area media reports about Castillo from the summer of 2008. An undocumented Mexican immigrant, Castillo found himself at the center of controversy in July when the University of Illinois at Chicago denied him a kidney transplant citing his residency status and lack of a Social Security number.

After healthcare and immigration advocates and the governor’s office got involved by enrolling Castillo in a state health plan, the hospital eventually performed the surgery with a kidney donated by his brother.

“Health care should apply to every single child — and the immigration status of that child’s mother or father is immaterial. It’s not relevant,” Blagojevich told WLS-TV in Chicago at the time.

Fast forward five months to the governor’s news conference. Castillo is again front and center, this time standing beside Blagojevich — who appears to have trouble recalling whether the donated organ was a kidney or a liver — as the governor makes a statement about his impeachment.

To even begin understanding the enigma that is Rod Blagojevich, Castillo’s story is a good place to start. In Blagojevich’s quest to make Illinois first in the nation for all things healthcare, his credo has always been that an unjust law, or administrative rule, is the same as none at all.

Press Here for more

[SpaceBar]

I am speechless. Treason and violation of the Constitution is discussed openly in the papers with all the passion of a new municipal sewer project. Another freeper on a different thread predicted Obama would eventually be arrested and tried. I'm not so optimistic. But if what goes down what the left have planned, we can all just kiss this country goodbye. 230+ years down the tube.

[kcvl]

BLAGOJEVICH: I will be happy to talk to you. We’re joined here by several families who’ve benefited by some of the programs and some of the initiatives, because I wouldn’t take no for an answer from a House that was designed to block everything that could help people for whatever their motivations.

Omar Castillo is a young man who was on the All Kids program. He was 17, 18 years old. And then it was discovered that he had a rare liver disease — kidney disease. And as a result of that, his life was in peril unless he can have a surgery and get a kidney that his brother was going to provide for him — his loving brother was going to provide for him. But he couldn’t get the surgery that would save his life because his parents didn’t have health insurance, and he was no longer 18, he was 19, and he wasn’t eligible for the All Kids program.

We intervened and acted in a way, with legal advice, around the legislature. Omar Castillo got that surgery. He got his liver. He’s now alive and well and he’s going to live a long and full and happy life.

http://tinyurl.com/mrtkde

[kcvl]

They think they deserve anything they want from this country! at your expense

OMAR CASTILLO sat on a bench in front of the University of Illinois (UIC) Medical Center in Chicago, holding a sign that pleaded, "I want to live just like you."

The teenager needed a kidney transplant. Omar had insurance, All Kids, which is available to every child in Illinois, regardless of immigration status. And he even had a donor who was a perfect match. But Omar is undocumented and doesn't have a Social Security number, and because of that, the hospital was denying him the transplant.

Instead of accepting the decision, however, Omar's family and friends and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) held a protest at the hospital. They carried signs that said "Please Save Omar." Hoy, a Spanish language newspaper, ran a front-page article and photo of the protest.

Soon after, the hospital decided to "reevaluate" Omar's case, and he got the transplant on August 7.

Francisco Pantaleon was not so lucky. The 30-year-old from Mexico was also an undocumented patient at UIC Medical Center. He suffered a brain aneurism and was in a coma when the hospital started making plans to deport him back to Mexico. As his family fought to keep him here, he died.

Press Here

www.socialistworker.org

Before Pantaleon's death, a spokesperson for the Illinois Hospital Association said "the family ought to be grateful" that UIC found a facility in Mexico willing to take him and volunteered to pay for the trip.

Anti-immigrant bigot Lou Dobbs picked up the story and declared, in a classic divide-and-conquer rant, "While the battle rages over illegal aliens and health care in Chicago, families all across this country are struggling more than ever to afford even basic medical care. A new study released today finds that 72 million Americans--American citizens--between the ages of 19 and 64 say they have problems paying for their medical bills."

Dobbs ended by asking his viewers this question: "Do you think it's time illegal aliens said 'thank you' for all the help and support they receive in this country--help and support they don't receive from the countries they left?"

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Al Gore’s rich as shit. So is John the ambulance chaser Edwards, so are the Kennedys, so is John F*ing Kerry, and Pelosi the Witch, and Stark, and Obama (couldn’t afford to give his half-brother $12 a month?), and Harry the Thief Reid, and Joe the Huckster Biden.

I don’t seeing any of them putting out any money to help the poor, including the illegals who need medical help.

Oh, Obama says “It’s the Chicago way.” At least Blago did something. Not so Rahm the Fish and Obama the Red.

What does that tell you about rich Democrats? That they don’t give a damn about the average person. PERIOD.

[USNBandit]

House Speaker Pelosi has said that they would not be covered under overhaul proposals

The only mention I can find in the House bill for aliens is that illegals will not have to pay taxes for not carrying coverage, and won't qualify for federal funding of "Individual Affordability Credits." Sounds like they will qualify for coverage.

[metesky]

My grandfather supported a growing family by selling from a pushcart in the streets of Boston over a century ago. He was a legal immigrant and his kids went to Penn, Vasser and BU. The men fought in WWII and the women became teachers.

The only government "handout" any of them ever recieved was by taking advantage of the GI Bill to attend college and better their lives.

[socialismisinsidious]

Socialized Medicine aka Universal Health Care PING LIST

FReepmail me if you want to be added to or removed from this ping list.

**This is a high volume ping list! (sign of the times)**

[Grampa Dave]

WHY IS IT......IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOR......

IF YOU CROSS THE US BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET A DRIVERS LICENSE, SOCIAL SECURITY CARD, FREE HEALTH CARE, and ACORN counts you in the next census and enables you to vote.

WHO’S BRIGHT IDEA WAS THIS??????
(Americans must be stupid)

No, but their legislators are traitors.