Our Problem Isn't with Immigrants

Some common sense and facts to counter the reactionary xenophobic cry that those damn "illegals" are coming here and demanding all these health services that our own citizens don't have access to.  The study is published in this month's Health Affairs.

 

RAND Study Says Small Fraction of Spending On Health Goes to Undocumented Immigrants

A study released by the RAND Corp. on Nov. 14 said that only a small fraction of U.S. health care spending goes to undocumented immigrants. "Overall, immigrants to the United States use relatively few health services, primarily because they are generally healthier than their American-born counterparts," RAND said.
 

The study estimates that in the United States about $1.1 billion in federal, state, and local government funds are spent annually on health
care for undocumented immigrants aged 18 to 64. "That amounts to an average of $11 in taxes for each U.S. household," RAND said. "In contrast, a total of $88 billion in government funds were spent on health care for all non-elderly adults in 2000."