09/26/07 Free Chemo for Illegals

A family friend has been fighting cancer for years and fighting hard. She was in tears last Thursday when she learned it had now spread to her brain. The prognosis is dim but what upset her terribly was the fact that she was told that it was highly likely that her insurance company would continue to pay for aggressive treatments like chemotherapy. Too bad she is not an illegal immigrant in New York and 20 other states who receive free chemotherapy. Despite the fact that federal government told New York Health officials Medicaid funding would no longer be available for emergency chemotherapy treatment the state plans to challenge their ruling or look to other funding means. (If you are an illegal in New York emergency treatment is defined as any medical condition that could lead to death without treatment, an ingrown toe nail falls under this definition) So someone who enters our country illegally receives preferential medical treatment at no cost while good law abiding, tax paying citizens like Evelyn are snubbed by the very insurance companies they have faithfully made payments to for years. It's time to aggressively take back the United States of America !