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California Health Insurance for Illegals?

California Governor Schwartzenneger wants to require everybody in California to carry health insurance. That means illegal immigrants too. No way, say most Californians. Not for people who sneaked into the state illegally.

Schwartzenneger puts it this way, "Let me be clear about this one issue … the debate over covering undocumented or illegal immigrants. I don't think it is a question or a debate if they ought to be covered…. A federal law requires us to treat everyone who shows up at an emergency room and needs care….Therefore, the decision that [we] made was not should we treat them…. The question really is, how can we treat them in the most cost-effective way? Because right now they go into an emergency room, and that means sometimes thousands of dollars are being rung up. But in the meantime, we can do it cheaper by sending them just to a doctor…. We are trying to be realistic here and not live in denial."

Read full story in Los Angeles Times, Part of Schwarzenegger's health plan faces tough sell to public

Posted by Phil Daigle on January 11, 2007 1:29 PM
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