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u.s. news Dialuna 26 Juli 2021

Health care for older immigrants sees momentum among states

(AP) — Most mornings, since December. Supporters
62-year-old Maria Elena estimate at least 12,000 will
Estamilla wakes up with be eligible when the expan-
pelvic pain and dread that sion kicks in next year.
she faces the same fate as
her mother and grand- California will spend $1.3
mother: fatal cervical can- billion for a Medicaid ex-
cer. pansion starting in 2022 that
covers expenses for roughly
The Chicago woman’s last 235,000 low-income immi-
full medical exam was in 2015 grants 50 and older who are
and she sees no options for in the country illegally.
care as a Mexican immigrant
without permission to live in Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s
the U.S. She’s not eligible for office said the state’s expan-
Medicare, Medicaid or Af- sion will cover eligible low-
fordable Care Act coverage. income immigrant adults re-
As a child care worker, she gardless of status, but health
didn’t have employer cover- officials can narrow criteria
age. She can’t afford private to fit spending limits set by
insurance. lawmakers. Up to 80,000
people could enroll.
But things may soon change.
Republicans have criticized
Illinois is among a handful supporting noncitizens,
of Democratic-run states ex- with about 25% of immi- gan offering public insurance while fiscal watchdogs ques-
tending health insurance cov- grants with legal status. for all low-income residents Leaders in Illinois and Cali- tion using state taxpayer
erage to adult immigrants in About 9% of citizens are un- under 26. fornia say their solution is funds.
the country illegally, includ- insured, according to a Kaiser inching toward coverage for
ing seniors. The state, which Family Foundation analysis But focusing on older immi- all, which also makes the Susan Shelley of the Howard
became the first to offer a in July, which didn’t include grants is becoming more ur- high cost more politically Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Medicaid-like program for data for those over 65. gent, experts say. palatable. said California’s Medicaid
older immigrants last year, program already faces com-
used a new budget to expand Barriers include cost and Immigrants are more likely “Look at what immigrants do plaints it doesn’t pay doctors
the program. California fol- limited options. For instance, to remain in the U.S. com- for our economy,” Demo- enough to provide proper
lowed suit, including cover- green card holders must wait pared with two decades ago, cratic Illinois House Speaker care and an expensive expan-
age for those 50 and over in five years for Medicaid eligi- according to Arturo Vargas Emanuel “Chris” Welch said. sion won’t help.
the latest budget. And Or- bility. Bustamante, a professor at “Including them in our health
egon’s governor signed a plan the University of California, insurance, it keeps them “It’s an overpromise, and it’s
this week offering benefits to When it comes to using pub- Los Angeles’ Fielding School healthy and allows them to not addressing the priorities
low-income immigrants over lic benefits, there are also of Public Health. According go to work and compete and of the people already on the
19. New York advocates are concerns about repercussions to a July study he co-wrote, be able to contribute.” program,” she said.
banking on the momentum like deportation. A Trump immigrants’ median age in-
to do the same. administration rule denying creased from 37 to 45 be- The state dedicated $36 mil- But backers say such pro-
green cards to immigrants tween 2000 and 2018. lion of its recent $42 billion grams also benefit citizens.
Supporters say the trend is who used public benefits had budget to expand coverage Among the estimated 11 mil-
crucial during a coronavi- a chilling effect. Use of food Without action, America from those 65 and older to lion immigrants without le-
rus pandemic that has left stamps declined 37% among faces a health care crisis as those 55 and older, including gal status, roughly 22% over
immigrants, who are dis- noncitizens from 2016 to immigrants age, Bustamante immigrants with legal sta- 15 are married to a U.S. citi-
proportionately essential 2019, according to a Migra- said, adding that offering in- tus who don’t yet qualify for zen or green card holder, ac-
workers, more vulnerable to tion Policy Institute study in surance will save money by other help and those in the cording to a Migration Policy
COVID-19 and as federal December. reducing reliance on emer- country illegally. More than Institute report in February.
remedies, like an immigra- gency rooms. 5,100 people have applied
tion overhaul or “public op- Esther Corpuz, CEO of
tion” health insurance, face Alivio Health Center, said
tough political odds. While enrolling people in services
opponents question the cost remains difficult even after
and using taxpayer funding, the Biden administration
experts believe it will ulti- scrapped the “public charge”
mately save money and ad- rule. Alivio runs Chicago-
dress looming issues with an area clinics serving 50,000
aging immigrant population. patients, mainly immigrants
without legal status.
“This program can’t come
any faster for me because “There still is that fear if they
of the pain and discomfort sign up for some kind of gov-
I feel,” Estamilla said. “I’m ernmental benefit ... that will
very scared.” be used against them in the
future,” she said.
Immigrants, both with legal
status and without, are more In recent years, about half a
likely to be uninsured than dozen states have focused
citizens. on health coverage for im-
migrant children and young
Among those under 65, adults without legal status. Il-
roughly 46% of immigrants linois, California, Oregon are
in the country illegally don’t among those covering chil-
have insurance, compared dren. Last year, California be-