brad
03-26-2003, 07:01 AM
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030324-90267892.htm
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County's sprawling public health care system is on the edge of collapse, and officials say there is little they can do without a massive infusion of federal money.
...
But beyond all that lies an even touchier issue, one that officials don't like to even discuss — the role of immigrants in the county's crisis. Although no one is sure how many of the uninsured are recent immigrants, everyone says many are. Some of those are illegal.
In Los Angeles, which has a large Hispanic population, talk of restricting services to illegal immigrants is political poison. In Washington, such a discussion runs afoul of the Bush administration's efforts to make peace with Hispanic voters.
"It's something we're not playing up," one participant in the talks about the future of the system said. "It doesn't play well."
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County's sprawling public health care system is on the edge of collapse, and officials say there is little they can do without a massive infusion of federal money.
...
But beyond all that lies an even touchier issue, one that officials don't like to even discuss — the role of immigrants in the county's crisis. Although no one is sure how many of the uninsured are recent immigrants, everyone says many are. Some of those are illegal.
In Los Angeles, which has a large Hispanic population, talk of restricting services to illegal immigrants is political poison. In Washington, such a discussion runs afoul of the Bush administration's efforts to make peace with Hispanic voters.
"It's something we're not playing up," one participant in the talks about the future of the system said. "It doesn't play well."