Massachusetts to Cut Healthcare Benefits to LEGAL Immigrants

  When Massachusetts instituted mandatory healthcare coverage for all residents it was hailed as a model that could be used on a national level. During the primary Mitt Romney boasted that he was the only candidate who actually was able to implement a healthcare plan that insured all of his residents. He claimed that he would be able to take this plan to the national level.

  If the Massachusetts model can be used to show us how a national healthcare plan can be implemented than it certainly can be used as a model to show why a national healthcare plan should not be implemented.

  Massachusetts’ healthcare plan was implemented during good economic times but now that the country is in a recession the Massachusetts healthcare plan has become insolvent. The state has no money to pay for the program any longer so cuts are going to have to be made.

  Massachusetts lawmakers are in the process of cutting healthcare to immigrants.

  But not just any immigrants, Massachusetts is going to cut healthcare insurance to LEGAL immigrants. About 30,ooo LEGAL immigrants, who pay taxes, are going to have their healthcareplans, plans on which they have been paying premiums, taken away from them. These people are residents just like any other and yet they are going to be singled out and told that they have to pay their own healthcare bills.

   First the state mandated that they had to get insurance or they would face tax penalties and now that they have the insurance the state is telling them they are no longer eligible for the insurance.

  Governor Deval Patrick opposes these draconian cuts but he has no option, the governor of Massachusetts will cave in to the legislature as he has done on several other occasions already.

  These people will be discriminated against because of their country of origin. They have gone through the process of becoming citizens of the greatest country in the world. It has taken them years to acquire citizenship when they could have just snuck across the border and had everything handed to them. But they came here because they wanted to become citizens of this country and enjoy all of the benefits that come from being a citizen of the United States, and for that trouble Massachusetts is in the process of telling them that they are second class citizens.

  These immigrants pay their taxes just like every other resident of the state and they are being told that they cannot receive all of the benefits that other residents are afforded. How heartless is that? If this cut passes, Massachusetts will in effect begin to ration healthcare, only those that they see fit will be provided healthcare. And immigrants don’t fit into the equation.

  This is a perfect example of why a national healthcare system should NEVER be implemented. Massachusetts implemented this policy when the economy was good and they supposedly had the money. I would argue that the money was never there but that is not an argument for this post. But as soon as the economy turned sour there was no longer any money to support the system and now we are seeing the possible rationing of healthcare.

  During this recession President Obama wants to implement a national healthcare system, the money is already not there. Regardless of what Joe Biden said, you do not spend money to stop from going bankrupt. There is no money to support a national healthcare system already, and healthcare costs only go up (even under Obama’s plan the costs will rise, they always do) so the cost of this program will only increase as time goes on. Where is this additional money going to come from. Either taxes will go up or cuts will be made to the healthcare plan– rationing.

  Massachusetts is in the process of rationing healthcare coverage and you can rest assured that in contrast to what the president and other lawmakers are saying, healthcare WILL be rationed on a national level. It is unsustainable, especially in these hard times.

  There is no way to provide healthcare to ALL Americans, people will lose out. But who will it be? Which services will be cut and from whom will they be cut? Can it happen to you?

  Massachusetts has shown us the way, let them be our guiding light and let them shine a pathway away from the rocks that are hidden under the water– the healthcare rocks. We should learn from Massachusetts’mistake; not imitate it. Remember Massachusetts’ healthcare plan is a model, but the model is falling apart. If this happens on a national level the country’s economy will totally collapse. 

  When the president tells you that there will be no rationing of healthcare just take a look at Massachusetts and remember that they tried to insure everybody and then remember that they took healthcare away from some of its most needy citizens.

  It can happen to you.