Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, Roger Wicker, Cindy Hyde-Smith, and John Barrasso have introduced the Protect Medicaid Act in an effort to prevent states like California from using federal funds to provide Medicaid benefits to illegal immigrants. The proposed legislation seeks to ensure that states offering such benefits do so without imposing costs on taxpayers from other states.

The bill prohibits the use of federal money for administering state Medicaid benefits to noncitizens. If a state opts to extend these benefits to illegal residents, it must finance them independently. U.S. Representative Richard Hudson has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Dr. Cassidy emphasized his experience as a doctor in California, stating: “We should focus on making America healthy again instead of straining our medical system and burdening American taxpayers.”

Senator Hyde-Smith expressed support for the bill, saying: “The American people have made it clear that they want their hard-earned tax dollars to work for them, not those who are in our country illegally.”

Senator Barrasso criticized what he described as "handouts from Democrats," asserting that they attract illegal immigrants seeking free healthcare funded by American taxpayers.

Representative Hudson noted that providing taxpayer-funded Medicaid to illegal immigrants is against the law and claimed it incentivizes more illegal border crossings.

Federal law currently prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving Medicaid; however, some states reportedly bypass this through complex budgeting methods. This situation is said to contribute to challenges faced by Medicaid patients in securing appointments and care due to shortages of primary care providers.

The Protect Medicaid Act mandates the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) to review and report on related matters.

In previous congressional sessions, Dr. Cassidy introduced similar bills aimed at preventing taxpayer resources from funding healthcare for illegal immigrants.