Search is Powered by Google
Follow us on:
Follow our health news on Twitter
Follow Our News on Facebook
Personalization
login | register
Health Insurance / Medical Insurance News

Health Care Coverage Should Be Extended To Undocumented Immigrant Children In Iowa, Opinion Piece Says

Main Category: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 13 Jan 2009 - 5:00 PST

email icon email to a friend   printer icon printer friendly   write icon view / write opinions   rate icon rate article


Current Article Ratings:

Patient / Public:1 star

1 (1 votes)

Health Professional:3 stars

3 (1 votes)

Article Opinions: 0 posts

The Iowa Legislature this year needs to include the "uninsured, undocumented immigrant child" in legislation "guaranteeing all eligible children health insurance by 2011," Sen. Jack Hatch (D-Iowa), chair of the Senate Health & Human Services Budget committee, and Sen. Joe Bolkcom (D-Iowa), chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee, write in a Des Moines Register opinion piece. The state Legislature last year approved legislation that guarantees eligible children health insurance by 2011. According to Hatch and Bolkcom, undocumented immigrant children were "left out" of the plan. They ask, "What does the state hope to achieve by promoting the perpetuation of a subclass of sick kids within our state, increasing the costs that are associated with disease and illness, all while putting our own kids at risk?"

They continue, "Studies have shown that allowing [undocumented immigrants] access to primary care health services is the best and cheapest way to keep them healthy." Hatch and Bolkcom write, "We are already providing health services to undocumented children in the emergency rooms of our community hospitals," which "is the single most expensive venue to provide health care services. It is far more cost-effective to provide care in an organized fashion."

"Through the proposal that will be presented this legislative session, we hope to join the ranks of other states that have decided to provide access to health care programs to undocumented immigrant children," Hatch and Bolkcom write. "There is no justifiable purpose in denying health care coverage for these kids" (Hatch/Bolkcom, Des Moines Register, 1/12).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.




Personalized Homepage Weekly Newsletters Daily News Alerts
Hemophilia Opioid Induced Constipation Pneumococcal Disease ADHD Anxiety Asthma Atrial Fibrillation Autism Cancer Diabetes Lung Cancer Lupus Medicare / Medicaid Obesity and BMI Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells All 'What Is...' Articles

Ophthalmology Urology
About Us News Licensing Free Website Feeds Free Tools & Content Tell a Friend Accessibility Help / FAQ Article Submission Links Contact Us

add medical news today to your facebook
medical news gadget

Please fill in our survey

Swine Flu Image

Swine Flu Updates

- Latest Swine Flu News
- What is Swine Flu?
- Map Of H1N1 Outbreaks
- Swine Flu - Top 20 FAQ
- Daily Email News Alerts
Stick with Medical News Today for the latest news updates on swine flu.


These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months:
Top Article Star
The French Health Care System
08 Jun 2009
The public health insurance program in France was established in 1945 and its coverage for its affiliates have undergone many changes since then. One of the major changes has resulted in the expansion to all legal...


Healthy Eyes On The Computer
Healthy Eyes On The Computer

Long hours in front of the computer can lead to eyestrain and headaches. But taking breaks, keeping your eyes hydrated, and making sure your computer is positioned properly can make a big difference.

more videos are available in our health videos section.