Should illegal immigrants be eligible for free healthcare?

Question

This is an essay question on a scholarship I am applying for, and was just curious what other's opinions are.

I would prefer an answer from the medical professional perspective. I am a healthcare major (hence the scholarship) and from a humanitarian and Hippocratic Oath standpoint, we have to provide treatment in an emergency and/or if you are in labor. Otherwise it is illegal, but how do you feel about this? If YOU were a doctor or a nurse, would you offer your services to an illegal immigrant who was bleeding to death on the street or something?

Answer 1

Why should they be allowed free health care when there are citizens that are barely making ends meet that can't get free health care?? There are many Americans out there that are barely able to pay all of their bills, but yet they can't qualify for free health care.

If you really want to do a good paper I suggest you research how much is actually spent on Illegals "free" health care, MD spends 40-44 Million a year, if you want to see some big figures look into the costs in Cali. and Texas.
Also it might be Free to the illegals, but guess who is paying for it?? It's not free to the regular joe tax payer.

Answer 2

If the alternative is allowing people to become serious ill and die then there is a serious human rights issue here surely.

Anyone without valid leave to remain (and without a claim for asylum) who can be returned to their own country safely should of course be returned, whether or not they are ill and in danger of using NHS resources. If they are seriously ill however I think we have a moral duty as a society to not simply allow people to die.

If a person cannot be returned to their home country or if their safely would be at serious risk there, then I think that healthcare should be provided.

Illegal immigrants would normally not have the funds needed to pay for their own healthcare. If an individual has been identified as an illegal immigrant then they should be dealt with through the proper channels and kept in custody if need be.

We provide our prisoners with free healthcare.

I think I'm quite sympathetic with the idea that doctors should inform the authorities. If they are being paid for their time with public money then this makes sense. On the other hand there should be confidentiality.

Answer 3

This is a tough question because of the human factor. Nobody wants someone who is suffering to go without, BUT somebody has to pay the bills. If there were only a "few" who needed the help it would be one thing, but when hospitals are overrun, they cannot make it financially, and that hurts everyone. No other business is expected by people to operate in the red like hospitals are, yet we all know health care is expensive. So, the answer is "NO", we cannot afford the ever increasing numbers of "free" healthcare to noncitizens.

Answer 4

Tough question...I don't want to seem heartless by saying no and therefore basically telling parents of sick children that I refuse to help them, but I also do not want to take on the financial burden of those that are not paying into the system that they are seeking aid from.

I believe that BASIC medical care should be provided to those that need it, especially children (its not their fault their parents are in the country illegally). I also believe that this will become less of an issue if we change our immigration laws to allow for easier or at least a less time-consuming process to become a citizen. There should be a list of actions that will grant either automatic citizenship or at least a fast-track to citizenship. Stuff like serving in the US military or proving that you have paid US Federal and State income taxes for a certain number of years should be on that list.

Answer 5

The hospital the I work for does not turn away the uninsured poor, the sick, the critically injured, the illegals.

It is against the law. If the illegals (this includes the US citizen)can not pay the bills then the hospital will find the way to send the bills to the local, state or federal government for reimbursement.

At the end we all pay for it.

Answer 6

No. They should have to pay just like everyone else. They want the same rights as we have? Then fine, give them the All-American right to pay taxes and pay their share of cost for healthcare. I know that they pay taxes when they purchase food, gas etc. etc. However, somehow, someway, they get free healthcare, free food, free pre-school for their kids, WIC, MEDICAID, MEDICAL, DENTICAL and so on. It's bad enough that we have a large section of U.S. citizens on these welfare programs siphoning off of the system, but then add a few million more and we are in the midst of a huge problem on the precipice of a national disaster. I'm fully employed and I have a part-time job to boot. My youngest child barely qualified for free pre-school. I make too much money to be eligible for free meals at school for my kids and we are not even eligible for reduced prices either. It costs me an arm and a leg to go see a dentist. Meanwhile, I know of two illegal women that just had babies and didn't pay a dime. How can this be?

I'm not against immigrants. How could I be? When my parents were both immigrants, legal of course. My wife is an immigrant and I had to jump thru hoops and loops to be able to get her paperwork thru INS. I'm against this government allowing this to happen. I mean here you are an illegal immigrant and they give you everything? It's not fair.

I know for a fact that a lot of other kids get everything free and a lot of their parents are illegals. Just like they organize themselves to march on our streets, they should be able to organize themselves to march back to their respective countries and demand their rights. Just like they do here, in a country that isn't theirs.

Answer 7

i am a nursing student and have worked in health care since '93, i am against illegal immigration and illegal immigrants themselves. however if this were a life or death situation i would offer my services, it is what we are trained to do, we cannot discriminate when life hangs in the balance. Any life.

Answer 8

absolutely, if it was a medical emergency than a Dr. should help the "person" in need, especially if it were a life & death situation. would u leave a baby outside or in a desert to parish instead of taking him/her in based on their residency-i hope u would care a little more considering ur field. But, as to treatment & ongoing therapy & so on, NO i don't think they should b eligible for aid unless they pay for it themselves we have many US citizens, children, elderly &/or veterans who r lacking medical attention.

Answer 9

Absolutely NOT!! They are ILLEGAL!! Why can't people get this. Wrong is Wrong. If they are Illegal they should not be entitled to anything. Go back from where they came from and enter the US LEGALLY.Many U.S citizens can't even get free medical. Take care of our own first.

Answer 10

as much as i understand where the fundamental problem conserv.s have with this issue, the money that would go into such a program would pale in comparrison to ... i dunno, say this retarded war... if illegal's health care was remotely close to half as expensive as one month in this war, that arguement would hold some water...

that said, i don't hink we should be a welfare state, for people to come get fixed and go home, and there are enough intelligent conservatives to prevent that from happening...

that said, No one, regardless of where they are from should be left to die on the street... so free check-ups... no, prob. not.... free emergency care... i think its the human thing to do...

who was it said, "you can tell the health of a nation by how they treat their poorest people..." i think that rings pretty true.