Feds to Deny Health Care to Undocumented Workers

Terrific:

Born out of ongoing efforts in Washington to clamp down on illegal immigration, the new federal requirement compels anyone seeking Medicaid coverage to provide a birth certificate, a passport, or another form of identification in order to sign up for benefits or renew them.
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The requirement was tucked into the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which President Bush signed into law earlier this year.
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The intent is to prevent undocumented immigrants from posing as citizens and taking advantage of taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits that are afforded only to legal residents.

Three points:

1.    From a purely selfish public health point of view, is it really a good idea to deny diagnosis and treatment to 12 million people ... ever? But particularly when there are concerns about a pandemic? This should make going to the supermarket a total crap shoot for the rest of us, yes?

2.    Attention! All you Christianists who want to embed the Bible in the Constitution! Embed Leviticus 19:33-34 in there while you're at it:

" 'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

3.    Hey! GOP! Quit sneaking (or "tucking") appalling shit into legislation under the dead of night. It's a tip-off that you're ashamed of the crap you're trying to pull and that a majority of Americans - who at heart a generous people - would not approve. If you think you have terrific ideas that will lead to the public strewing flowers and candy in your path, come out in the open and say so. If you think we need convincing, make your case and convince us. But you're looking like midnight cowards with these actions, and rightly so.