Galveston County Daily News, Jan. 22, 2008
Dr. Howard Brody notes that recent studies demonstrate that the vast majority of undocumented immigrants are employed and pay taxes and that they access social services programs at a lower rate than average community members do.
Illegal aliens, health care, unseen benefits
By Howard Brody
The Daily News
Published January 22, 2008
Our medical center recently held a conference on care for the uninsured. In our neck of the woods, any such discussion eventually turns to the question of undocumented immigrants. Several speakers reminded me that the national public debate about immigration policy is clouded with misunderstandings.
As one speaker put it, people's fears have been whipped up, and fearful people often don't think straight. He urged those of us in health care, who have access to the facts, to accept our responsibility to get the facts out there.
So here goes with the bully pulpit routine.
In any community, there's a set of social services, paid for by some combination of local, state and federal taxes.
That usually includes some sort of health care for people without insurance. (Texas has just about the highest rate of uninsured in the nation, and just about the lowest-ranking public programs to provide health care for them, but that's not the main issue here.)
People in the community then come along and seek those services.
What do the facts show about undocumented immigrants according to these measures?
There have now been several detailed studies; the summary of one can be viewed here.
These studies show first that the vast majority of undocumented workers are, well, workers. They are employed. They also live, eat and buy stuff in the community. As a result, they pay a full array of local, state and federal taxes. (Those with false Social Security identification pay billions of dollars annually into the U.S. Social Security system and have no way of ever recovering any of those funds.)
The same studies then show that these people like to keep a low profile (I wonder why) and, therefore, access the usual social services at a lower rate than average members of the community. Put the two together - taxes paid, services used - and it's usually either a wash, or a net gain to the American community in which these workers live.
Now, this is a health-care column and I have no idea what the right policy is on immigration. Is it a good idea to have millions of people running around the United States without proper legal documents? I don't think so. My view is that the present system is badly broken.
But, at the same time, we need to send a strong message to a lot of politicians who are fanning our fears to get our votes - stop telling lies.
Dr. Howard Brody, a family physician, is director of the Institute for Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch.