White House Tightens Stance on Illegal Aliens

While no provision in any current legislation requires or even specifically allows coverage for illegal aliens, the issue has dogged health care reform efforts (including Rep. Joe Wilson's unseemly outburst during President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress). Part of the concern has been that coverage of illegal noncitizens is not specifically prohibited. On Friday the White House appeared to tighten its stance on this issue, according to an AP story:

"White House press secretary Robert Gibbs sketched a new position that goes even further than some conservative critics had demanded: Obama will oppose letting illegal immigrants buy insurance through new purchasing exchanges the government will set up — even from private companies operating within the exchanges.

'Illegal immigrants would not be allowed to access the exchange that is set up,' Gibbs said. Verification requirements are 'something we'd work out with Congress,' he said.

Currently illegal immigrants are barred from government-funded care except in certain emergency cases, but many buy private insurance and there's nothing to prevent them from doing that. That would change under the White House's proposal, which is certain to alarm some on the left."

You can read the AP story here.