Illegal Immigration Among Debate In Healthcare Reform

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The illegal immigration issue has become a key component of the debate over healthcare reform. There is an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country and half of them do not have health care.

Tax payers and hospitals are paying for those who can not afford medical care to come to hospital emergency rooms to give birth and get medical treatment. It's called Uncompensated Care.

In 2008 Uncompensated Care cost Vanderbilt University Medical Center $250 million. This year they have seen a $40 million increase.

Congressman Jim Cooper believed when final healthcare reform legislation is passed there will be provisions that restrict illegal immigrants from getting care.

"All the bills say, no illegals are covered period," said Copper.

An existing law may keep much from changing, 1986's Emergency Treatment Act requires hospital ERs to treat first and ask questions later. That was not expected to go away.

"Hospitals do feel a lot of strain from uncompensated care, but most hospitals are going to be so happy with health reforms, to have that uncompensated health care burden reduced for the first time in American History. I think they are going to be in a much better situation than before," said Cooper.

Federal changes could mirror what Tennessee was already doing. State lawmakers recently passed legislation that required TennCare to check every enrollee's social security number or legal status. That was costing the state almost half a million dollars.

Yuri Cunza with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce said that was a waste of money - believing most illegal immigrants do not even know about TennCare.

"I can understand why some people may use or abuse the system," said Cunza. "Everything has consequences, if we have a large number of people who we are using, and benefitting from, of course we can expect some of them will get sick."

New healthcare reform laws could call transform the WIC system. They could require checks of Social Security Numbers.