Action Alert TODAY - Lift the 5 year bar on immigrants / health care

[Sunny Kim]

(español mas abajo)

ACTION ALERT - TODAY 12/11

Senator Menendez's amendment to remove the 5 year waiting period for lawfully residing immigrants is expected to be debated on the floor of the Senate as soon as tomorrow.  

We're asking states to generate 100 grassroots calls to Senators offices between today and tomorrow to ask them to support this amendment as a necessary part of health care reform. The message is simple:

• No one should have to wait for health care
• Support Senator Menendez's amendment to remove the 5 year waiting period for lawfully residing immigrants.

Please make TWO calls:
One to Senator Murray and one to Senator Cantwell
Call 1-202-224-3121 and ask to be connected.

See below for background on the issue.
____________

ACCION URGENTE: 11 de DIC (HOY)

Tan pronto como mañana, se discutirá en el Senado una propuesta introducida por el Senador Menendez que eliminaría el tiempo de espera de cinco años para residentes permanentes legales en Medicaid.

Necesitamos llamar a nuestros senadoras HOY y MAÑANA y pedirles que apoyen esta propuesta como una parte necesaria de la reforma de salud.

Tenemos un mensaje simple:

• Nadie debe tener que esperar para ver un medico
• Apoya la propuesta del Senador Menendez para eliminará la barra de cinco años para residentes permanentes legales

Por favor, haga DOS llamadas:
Una a la Senadora Murray y Otra a la Senadora Cantwell
Llame 1-202-224-3121 para hablar con sus senadoras.
Cualquier persona puede hacer esta llamada.

(un operador le pedirá para el nombre de su senadora y después, le conectará a la oficina de la senadora. alguien en la oficina tomará su recado a la senadora)

--
Lynne Nguyen
Organizer, Health Care for America Now! campaign
Washington CAN!
www.washingtoncan.org
office: 206-805-6676
cell: 310-622-5456

BACKGROUND

End Health Care Waiting Periods For Taxpaying, Legal Immigrants in Health Reform

The 2009 health care reform legislation must create an inclusive system where everyone shares responsibility for fixing our health care system.  In its health care reform proposal, the Senate must end the five year waiting period in Medicaid for low-income, legal immigrant adults.

In its wisdom, the Senate recently ended this barrier for legal immigrant children and pregnant women in the recently-enacted Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009.  The Senate must finish the job it started and ensure low-income parents and grandparents of immigrant children have access to affordable health care through the Medicaid program.  To promote an equitable system for all, we must remove all restrictions for legal immigrants to access affordable health care coverage, including eliminating the five-year waiting period and other barriers in Medicaid.

 The amendment that has been sponsored by Senator Menendez provides the states with an option to serve low income lawfully present adults in Medicaid.  It is not a mandate. The CBO declared that this amendment will not add any appreciable cost to health care reform. It is more likely that it will save money.

·         Under today’s existing system, low-income, legal immigrants must wait five years for Medicaid, despite paying the exact same taxes as citizens, which in turn pay for the Medicaid program.  These individuals are committed to becoming citizens and should have the same access to affordable health coverage, just like everyone else.

·         The individual mandate is an essential part of health care reform.  However, legal immigrants committed to leading healthier lives in America are unable to fulfill their responsibilities if they don’t have access to affordable health coverage. 

·         Medicaid coverage must coincide with the individual mandate.  Any lawfully present individual who would otherwise qualify for Medicaid and CHIP should be eligible to receive mandatory coverage through these programs. 

·         Serving lawfully present immigrants through Medicaid is less expensive than serving them through the more expensive subsidies provided in the new exchange.

·         Providing access to preventive care for legal immigrants can shift the paradigm of health care, ensuring that families are able to obtain critical preventive care that ultimately saves money.  By ensuring families can get cost-effective care before their medical condition becomes serious, we can reduce costs instead of relying on expensive emergency room care after forcing families to delay care.  An inclusive system where everyone can contribute and gain access to health services is fiscally sound.  The five-year waiting period prevents individuals from accessing the care they need while serious medical conditions worsen. 

 ·         Cancer, diabetes and even asthma cannot go untreated for five years without life-threatening consequences.  Pregnant women must be able to afford screenings for diseases such as Hepatitis B and the necessary treatments.  Failure to cover millions of people living in our communities will only lead to severe health problems, increase overall dollars spent on care, and ultimately weaken health care reform efforts to expand coverage and control costs.