Family Security Matters » Publications » The Sinking Lifeboat: Uncontrolled Immigration and the U.S. Health Care System in 2009

Family Security Matters » Publications » The Sinking Lifeboat: Uncontrolled Immigration and the U.S. Health Care System in 2009: "Editor’s note: The Federation for American Immigration Reform has released a report about the health care crisis as it relates to uncontrolled immigration. A few facts that all Americans should know include that between 1989 and 2007, immigrants and their U.S.-born children accounted for 71 percent of the increase in the uninsured. And, more than 1 in every 10 births is to an illegal alien mother.

This lack of insurance leads many immigrants to use hospital emergency departments – the most expensive source of health care – as their primary care provider, leading to overcrowded conditions for citizens who seek emergency care. Nationwide, emergency room visits increased by 36 percent from 1996 to 2006. And because of this heavy financial burden, the public health system is in dire straits – especially in states like California, where emergency rooms and trauma centers are being forced to close.

Should American taxpayers – citizens and legal residents –be on the hook for paying health benefits for illegals? Read the report and judge for yourself.

Below is the executive summary:"