Clinton Says Universal Heath Care Plan Will Not Cover Illegal Immigrants

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Clinton Says Universal Heath Care Plan Will Not Cover Illegal Immigrants

Friday, October 19, 2007

WASHINGTON — Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that immigrants living in the U.S. illegally would not be covered by her proposed universal health care plan.

The New York senator said she supports basic health services for illegal immigrants, including hospitalization and treatment of acute conditions. But she said the magnitude of the nation's health care challenge means her universal coverage proposal would not cover the 12 million people living in the country illegally.

"People who are here legally deserve some better treatment and acceptance in the law than people who are not here legally," she said. "These are hard choices."

As for ways to reduce pressure on the overburdened health care system, she said she could envision using "carrots and maybe a few sticks" to motivate people to lose weight and make other behavioral changes that could help.

Speaking at a forum sponsored by several health care organizations, Clinton addressed a range of questions on the future of Social Security and Medicare, racial and gender disparities in health care coverage and ways to encourage medical students to become primary care doctors rather than specialists.

Most of all, there were questions about her proposed $110 billion health care plan and how it would bring order to a fractured system.She didn't directly address questions of whether smokers or obese people should pay more for health care but said as president she would use the "bully pulpit" to encourage healthy lifestyle choices, particularly among young people.

Clinton, who has publicly fretted about her weight, drew laughs as she recalled competing for presidential physical fitness awards as a child.

"We were rounded up and taken to the gym where we had to jump and run. I was horrible at it. They kept telling me to run and I'd say, 'I'm running,'" she said. "It was a very strong message to children that the president cares about your health care. I personally believed Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy were sitting in the White House signing my certificate."

The former first lady also spoke about her failure to enact universal coverage during her husband's presidency, assuring audience members that she would not repeat the mistakes that doomed that effort.

Among other things, she said it had been a mistake to try to draft the plan out of the White House, and that as president she had no intention of producing the specific legislation for Congress to consider.

"I'm setting goals for the country. But I know how important it is to work out the details in consultation with the Congress," she said.

Clinton scoffed at suggestions from Republican presidential rivals that her plan is little more than socialized medicine, calling them "old, tired accusations."

The Republican National Committee said her "government-run health care plan" would be paid for through hire taxes on hardworking people.

"Senator Clinton encourages people to lead healthy lifestyles, which will occur as they run from her plan to socialize medicine, just as they did in 1993," RNC spokesman Danny Diaz said.

Clinton acknowledged the need to bring a broad spectrum of interests together in order to enact her proposed plan

"I think we'll have a very strong coalition that will be able to make the case to Congress," she said. "Nobody will come out of this process with 100 percent of what he or she wants."

Clinton also said the task would be made easier if more Democrats were elected to the Senate in 2008.

"It's one of my highest priorities," she said.

source

Edited October 19, 2007 by devilette

[Drew and Tik 0]

Sounds fair to me, if I was in another country, for instance anywhere in Asia or Europe, which has universal health care and I was living there illegally, would (should?) I be covered under their system? I really don't think so.

[Drew and Tik 0]

Edit: On that same note, I really don't believe in universal health care as much as I once did anyway. Poor people, criminals, and illegal immigrants don't pay their medical bills anyway (I know this, I have a lot of experience with these situations) so I would rather it be the burden of the hospital system than the burden of the taxpayers that actually work and contribute to society in legal ways (lesser of two evils).

Really it would be nice if people had to somehow work off any medical expenses they incurred and decided not to pay for, community service maybe, but this country would not stand for people to have such an existential responsibility for their own failure to pay hospitals for maintaining their health.

As you can see, I'm not suggesting we don't treat anyone, everyone has the right to live and be healthy, but they also need to make the same contributions as the good members of society.

[aidan80 9]

It'd be great if the US had a modern medical system run by the government for the people as there is in many place in Europe, yet still retaining the private companies for those who want it. There are a few areas where the US (no offense anyone) are still in the stone age, materinety leave is just one more example along with medical! I don't really like the idea of forking out every pay cheque to a big company then making yet more co payments and percentages of costs if I get sick! It makes you afraid to be sick!

I'm not saying private medical coverage is a bad thing, it just isn't for me. I'm not saying a more socialist version of the current medical system is perfect but it has to be better than this? I really like the idea that my taxes here in the US would go to something other than the overly bloated military machine, bloated governments.. City, County, State, Federal.. I find this place overly micro managed with lots of money wasted on too many layers of government/administration.

If we're to pay taxes as residents and as citizens then I think our taxes should count for something more than just profit to a private company! Health care for the people by the people is a great idea! People get sick, some people cant afford to get better. We wouldn't let our so children go without medical coverage or our parents if we could help it? We'd pay the extra and cover them, would we not? I don't see any reason not to pay a little extra and cover those who can't cover it on their own and to have something everyone can use.