I think it’s fair to say that the majority of people in the United States believe that covering illegal immigrants and undocumented workers is simply impractical. Why should Americans offer their tax dollars to illegal immigrants, individuals who have clearly broken our laws?

Some argue we must look at the overall issue at hand; namely, how do we improve the efficiency of our current system and drive down the number of uninsured? Illegal immigrants make up a large portion of the uninsured, and as a result when looking for treatment they abstain from receiving care until it has become an emergency. This mode of operation is extremely expensive, and inherently drives up the cost of health care. Consequently, some claim that if more people were insured (illegal immigrants), then the cost of overall health care would improve in years to follow. However, arguing that illegal immigrants should be eligible for subsidized insurance only encourages others to break our laws, sneak into our country, and reap the benefits of our hard work.

The one item that I would like to point out is that illegal immigrants have been eligible for emergency medical care since 1986. This is when President Regan signed the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. So fundamentally, all of us are already paying for the costs of health care for illegal immigrants—this comes through their emergency room visits, Medicaid (for newborns of illegal immigrants who are actual citizens), and other fees associated with hospitals. To believe that we aren’t paying for illegal immigrants is simply turning your back to the truth.

I believe that placing too much emphasis on health care for illegal immigrants negates the broader picture. The issue of illegal immigrants should be addressed primarily through immigration reform.