Trouble Brewing for Obamacare and Immigration Reform

Trouble Brewing for Obamacare and Immigration Reform

A little noticed provision of the Obama health law is likely to become a big roadblock to immigration reform. Obamacare makes legal immigrants eligible for subsidized private health plans on the exchanges, regardless of how recently they arrived.

The Gang of Eight immigration plan is expected to double the number of legal immigrants coming into the country with permanent visas over the next decade. That would add at least $100 billion to the cost of Obamacare health plan subsidies, depending on how many new arrivals aren’t covered through an employer.

Actually this started off for us by a minute or so public service announcement (PSA) provided by Fox News. The PSA covers a short story of a 50 year old woman who swam across the Rio Grande River from Mexico to Texas and then she’s relocated to the state of Florida.

The individual is now collecting about $240.00 per month in food stamps; lives in government housing, collects a minimum of $700.00 per month from the Social Security Administration; and, her navigator states that she receives some assistance for Medicaid and other incidentals.

So naturally those of us who saw this PSA which after review is a topical advertisement for State Inspired Insurance Exchanges and the new “Navigators” who are placed in charge of illegal immigrants making the transfer from illegal status to legal residents.

We broke this scheme of arrangement down to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the medium in which the entitlement of Food Stamps is funded. (Please read this sections article.)

The Affordable Care Act includes a variety of provisions designed to promote accountability, affordability, quality, and accessibility in the health care system. Yet, that’s not all it does… The Affordable Care Act creates new competitive private health insurance marketplaces – called the Affordable Insurance Exchanges or “Exchanges” – that will provide millions of Americans with opportunities.

Exchanges will help individuals and small employers shop for, select, and enroll in qualified health plans. Exchanges will also assist eligible individuals to receive premium tax credits and cost sharing reductions or help individuals enroll in other Federal and state health care programs such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Although through a pinnacle campaign promise – those of a different working man’s Washington, no back room deals, and the campaign was alleged to support the most transparent government in modern history – we ask you have you received transparency or the complete lack thereof with a monstrous executive branch agency targeting conservative and who knows what other industries as in the case of the IRS.

Additionally, we wonder how many of you were aware of the implications of Obamacare during the health reform’s courtship. Section 1311(i) of the Affordable Care Act requires each Exchange to develop and implement Navigator grant programs. This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is open to eligible entities and self-employed individuals (see Section 1311(i)(2) of the Affordable Care Act) applying to serve consumers in States with an FFE or State Partnership Exchange.

It seems to be getting deeper and deeper into the dung heap…