Poll: Voters Oppose Coverage for Undocumented Immigrants

[CAL/AAEM News Service]

Poll: Voters Oppose Coverage for Undocumented Immigrants 
 
Source: California Healthline (http://www.californiahealthline.org)
Date: March 29, 2007

 
A majority of California residents oppose two components of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's
(R) health care reform plan -- requiring contributions from medical providers and
expanding coverage to undocumented immigrants, according to a poll released Thursday by
the Public Policy Institute of California, columnist George Skelton reports in his
"Capitol Journal" column in the Los Angeles Times (Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 3/29). 

The governor's plan seeks to require all California residents to obtain health insurance
coverage, regardless of immigration status. Individuals who declined to carry insurance
could face a reduction in state income tax refunds or have wages withheld (California
Healthline, 1/9).

The $12 billion plan would rely on $3.5 billion in mandatory contributions from
physicians and hospitals. Physicians would pay 2% of revenue, while hospitals would pay
4%. 

Skelton reports that the poll of 2,000 Californians, including 1,122 likely voters,
found:

63% of respondents oppose mandatory contributions from medical providers; and

Almost two-thirds of respondents oppose providing health coverage to undocumented
immigrants. 


"Perhaps people don't realize that, by federal law, [undocumented] immigrants already are
entitled to costly care at overflowing emergency rooms," Skelton writes, adding, "When
their treatment isn't paid for, everyone else gets stuck with the bill." 

However, according to Skelton, researchers found that two-thirds of likely voters support
other components of Schwarzenegger's plan, which include:

Requiring all California residents to obtain health coverage, while subsidizing coverage
for low-income residents; and

Mandating that employers who do not provide coverage contribute to a state fund that will
administer health insurance. 


Skelton adds that, overall, the poll found that 70% of California residents with
insurance believe the state's health care system needs "major changes" (Los Angeles
Times, 3/29). 


For more information, please visit: 
http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2007/3/29/Poll-Voters-Oppose-Coverage-for-Undocumented-Immigrants.aspx



Cyrus Shahpar & Brian Potts 
Managing Editors, CAL/AAEM News Service
University of California, Irvine

The CAL/AAEM Archives are available at: http://maillists.uci.edu/mailman/public/calaaem/


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com