The charge: Health care reform will cover illegal immigrants.
The source: Audience members at Friday’s town halls in Frisco and Edwards expressed concerns that reform will cover illegal immigrants.
The status: The House bill (H.R. 3200) covering health care reform states in Section 246 — found on page 143 — that illegal immigrants will not be covered through federal payments. The section is titled “No Federal Payment for Undocumented Aliens” and reads in full, “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.”
On July 30, reported on a chain e-mail that claims Section 152 of the House bill, a nondiscrimination clause on page 50, contains language regarding free health care for “non-US citizens” whether they are “illegal or not.” While Section 152 starts on page 50, it contains no language about “non-US citizens.” The phrase does not turn up in a keyword search of the bill.
The verdict: False. The current House bill does not cover “individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.”
Sources: ; ; The Associated Press; Denver Post archives. Compiled by Denver Post researcher Barry Osborne.
