The Republicans do not want to grant the undocumented immigrants access to federal health care benefits. They want them to buy their own health insurance plans and such plans are likely to be costly. But the Democrats who know that the health insurance plans are way too expensive, say that it is not right to make the immigrants buy such costly plans as many may not be able to afford such pricey plans. Nevertheless, both the parties have not come to an agreement on this issue and it is still unclear whether the immigration reform bill would grant the immigrants access to health care. This is the big topic that is now causing heated arguments.
Rep. Raul Labrador, says that the undocumented immigrants who would become eligible for lawful status in America, if the Senate bill is passed, must not become eligible for health care subsidies and other federal benefits. Republicans say that the immigrants would contribute very less to health care financing and that they would spend a lot. But they fail to understand that the immigrants contribute more and spend less and reports state that between 2001 and 2009, immigrants had contributed more than $115 billion to Medicare. Likewise, more number of immigrants are younger than the Americans and only few of them obtain Medicare benefits. But it is the Americans who receive more than what they contribute and the immigrants are supporting the aging Americans.
Nevertheless, prospective US citizens must be granted access to government health care, that would be funded by their tax dollars. The Senate and the House might permit the immigrants to take part in health exchanges and US citizens would be required to buy insurance policies if they do not receive employer provided coverage, next year. Nevertheless, activists say that immigration reform must guarantee affordable health care for everyone and it must not leave out the immigrants, who are also a part of the country. Immigrants pay taxes just like the others and the rule of the Republicans would force the immigrants to pay for an unaffordable health care plan instead of permitting them to buy the plan that they actually need and that they could afford. Public health would be enhanced and the overall costs would come down, if everyone in the country is granted access to health care.