Monday
Sep212009
Baucus Bill Could Delay Legal Immigrant Health Care Access
By Travis Martinez
University of New Mexico- Talk Radio News Service
Today, four immigration advocacy organizations urged the Senate Finance Committee Monday to provide legal and illegal immigrants with healthcare access. The National Immigration Law Center, the Center for Community Change, the National Council for La Raza and the National Immigration Forum are asking members of Congress to include provisions for legals in the recently unveiled America's Healthy Future Act. The Senate Finance Committee is slated to begin markup of the plan tomorrow.
Sonal Amegaokar is a health policy attorney of the National Immigration Law Center. She said that the glut of eligibility provisions currently in place could inadvertently block millions of eligible immigrants from receiving the benefits provided through the legislation. “At worst, the (healthcare reform legislation) will make it more difficult for eligible people from getting the coverage they deserve,” she said. “Health care reform today is progressing but is clearly not reflecting the reality of our society today... The more people you have covered and the more people you have paying into the system, it’s a better system for all of us."
"The exclusion of immigrants creates a serious racial justice concern for the center of community change,” said Kate Kahan of the Center for Community Change.
The bill was released last week by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. The bill would create tax credits for small-businesses to offer insurance for their employees; allow people to maintain their existing coverage; standardize Medicaid coverage to people living 133 percent below the poverty level and create tax incentives for health care providers to use electronic medical records. The plan would cost $856 million over the next ten years.
Baucus said that his plan would not add to the federal deficit and would be funded "through increased focus on quality, efficiency, prevention and adjustments in federal health program payments" according to his website.
http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/leg/LEG 2009/091609 Americas_Healthy_Future_Act.pdf.
University of New Mexico- Talk Radio News Service
Today, four immigration advocacy organizations urged the Senate Finance Committee Monday to provide legal and illegal immigrants with healthcare access. The National Immigration Law Center, the Center for Community Change, the National Council for La Raza and the National Immigration Forum are asking members of Congress to include provisions for legals in the recently unveiled America's Healthy Future Act. The Senate Finance Committee is slated to begin markup of the plan tomorrow.
Sonal Amegaokar is a health policy attorney of the National Immigration Law Center. She said that the glut of eligibility provisions currently in place could inadvertently block millions of eligible immigrants from receiving the benefits provided through the legislation. “At worst, the (healthcare reform legislation) will make it more difficult for eligible people from getting the coverage they deserve,” she said. “Health care reform today is progressing but is clearly not reflecting the reality of our society today... The more people you have covered and the more people you have paying into the system, it’s a better system for all of us."
"The exclusion of immigrants creates a serious racial justice concern for the center of community change,” said Kate Kahan of the Center for Community Change.
The bill was released last week by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. The bill would create tax credits for small-businesses to offer insurance for their employees; allow people to maintain their existing coverage; standardize Medicaid coverage to people living 133 percent below the poverty level and create tax incentives for health care providers to use electronic medical records. The plan would cost $856 million over the next ten years.
Baucus said that his plan would not add to the federal deficit and would be funded "through increased focus on quality, efficiency, prevention and adjustments in federal health program payments" according to his website.
http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/leg/LEG 2009/091609 Americas_Healthy_Future_Act.pdf.
Baucus Shoots Down GOP Amendment
While Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee welcomed and praised the work from the Republican members during the continuation of the markup of America’s Healthy Future Act, Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) worked fast to shoot down an amendment proposed by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), calling it "Unconstitutional", due to the fact that it requires a congressional agency to issue an order that has consequences towards the executive branch.
According to Baucus, the Republican Senator did not have enough data to back up an amendment that would require Congressional Budget Office certification for cuts made to Medicare advantage.
Republican committee members continued to urge a slow markup process while Democratic members requested that the committee move faster, noting that thousands of Americans continue to lose their health coverage.
With approximately 500 amendments proposed, the markup is expected to last well beyond Wednesday.