WJTV-TV, Jackson
Protect Medicaid Act; Wicker and Hyde introduce a new Act
By: DeAngelo Vaxter
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) - Republicans' U.S. Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde Smith introduce "Protect Medicaid Act", which would prevent states from using federal resources to expand Medicaid services to illegal immigrants.
Wicker says, "American taxpayers should not be responsible for providing health care to those who are in our country illegally. If states like New York or California want to provide their own funds to support unauthorized immigrants, they should shoulder the full administrative cost of providing these services."
Hyde-Smith says, "The law is the law, and this bill would stop states from circumventing the law to offer Medicaid benefits to illegal immigrants. This is a matter of fairness to states, like Mississippi, that follow the law and dedicate Medicaid resources to their citizens."
Federal law already bars illegal immigrants from receiving Medicaid but states like New York and California help fund immigrants.
New York and California attracted attention in recent months for using state funds to expand Medicaid coverage to unauthorized immigrants. These states effectively sponsored their programs with federal dollars by not counting the administrative costs of providing Medicaid to millions of additional individuals who would not otherwise be eligible for support.