How do you break it down to get everyone to pay what would be called their fair share...complicated..BD
In the most recent Census report, the lion's share of the increase in the uninsured occurred in five border states: Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico and Texas. In San Francisco, public health authorities estimate that 61% of the city's uninsured are not citizens.
Despite national findings about who is in the emergency room, uninsured immigrants and their children are putting stress on emergency rooms in the border states. Newly arrived immigrants without coverage are less apt to use the emergency room than U.S. citizens, according to a Rand study published two years ago by Health Affairs. However, the sheer number of Hispanic newcomers who seek care and are unable to pay is overwhelming many hospitals.
According to the Census Bureau, of the 47 million uninsured, nearly 10 million have household incomes of at least $75,000. They probably can afford coverage but have chosen not to buy it. Another 14 million of the uninsured are already eligible for government programs such as Medicaid (for low income adults) and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (for children) and simply need to sign up.
That leaves about 23.7 million people -- some citizens, others newcomers -- who cannot afford coverage. It's up to the nation to decide what to do about that. One thing is clear: Mandating that everyone, including young adults, buy insurance, and then hiding a hefty, cost sharing tax inside their premium, is an unfair solution.
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