As an African American who is concerned about my access to healthcare, I was very impressed by President Obama's recent comments concerning the need in this nation for both immigration and healthcare reform. At a recent address made at a stop over in Palo Alto, California, the President stressed that "Americans need to have the courage to make some hard choices. One of those hard choices is how to reform immigration. According to President Obama, "The U.S. must get serious about the tide of legal and illegal immigrants from Latin America." Obama's comments were a continuation of his support for immigration reform as reported in the past weeks' Street Talk column.
Meanwhile, Boston Sun columnist Lawrence Harrison recently accused affluent Americans of being part of the reason why the Congress has not passed immigration reform legislation.
"The major reason why it has been so difficult to achieve immigration reform is because the principal beneficiaries of our current immigration policy are affluent Americans who hire immigrants at substandard wages for low-end work and who are elected to the Congress of the United States."
Harvard economist George Borjas estimates that American workers lose $190 billion annually in depressed wages due to the constant flooding of the labor market at the low-wage end.
"The health-care cost of the illegal work force is especially burdensome and is subsidized by taxpayers," according to Borjas. "Many hospitals and clinics are going broke because of the constant stream of the uninsured, many of whom are among the estimated 12 million to 15 million illegal immigrants. This translates into reduced services, particularly for lower-income citizens."
To be honest, I am one of the millions of Americans who does not have private healthcare coverage. Without healthcare coverage and a private doctor, I have no other choice but to seek healthcare at the nearby emergency care hospital center. The worst time in the day to seek emergency medical care is between the hours of 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. due to overcrowding by inner city residents needing healthcare. At many inner city hospitals, most of residents seeking emergency care are African Americans, Hispanics and various immigrants who do not have healthcare coverage and depend on the state for public health services. Due to neighborhood crime, gang shoot outs. and folks who just get sick or injured, emergency centers are packed during night time hours.
Recently, I was not feeling well and went to a hospital emergency center for a blood test. After analyzing my blood, the nurse informed me that I had a urinary infection and she prescribed a prescription that would eventually cure the problem. The nurse or hospital administrator did not tell me how much the emergency hospital care would cost, but a week later I received a bill for $300.00 with a return envelop for payment. More serious health problems resulting in emergency medical services may cost thousands of dollars, particular if an operation or hospital stay is required. For the patient whose major concern is recovering from a health crisis, how to pay for health care is not an issue until the mailperson delivers the bill to their home.
In a recent column, I pointed out that the key to reform in America is directly connected to the explosion in the population due the birth of children whose parents are illegal immigrants. Their children who are born in this country are Americans. The U.S. population totaled 281 million in 2000. About 35 million, or 12.5 percent, were Hispanic. The Census Bureau projects that our population will reach 439 million in 2050. The Hispanic population in 2050 is projected at 133 million — 30 percent of the total and almost quadruple the 2000 level.
I continue to see Hispanic mothers pushing baby carriages with 2 to 3 children walking along side as they stroll down the street. I don't think their parents will have to wait 50 years before their children become adults and are eligible to vote for immigration and health care reform.
Related articles:
* Hispanic Immigrants Flood African American Neighborhoods Creating Tense Racial Times
* The Effects of Latino Immigration in South L.A., Part 2
* Immigration Reform is Needed Now
Ronald Ellerbe is editor of Hub City News and columnist for LA Beez.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
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