Bill would extend state-funded health insurance to 17,000 undocumented immigrant children
Many of the children are now forced to use hospital emergency rooms as their primary care doctors, if they seek care at all.
Five states and the
And there's a "pay now or pay more later," aspect to it, children's rights lawyers, pediatricians, child protection advocates and parents testified.
Rep.
She said the hospital visits would drop with the expanded coverage and she told Brennan any calculation of cost should include that reduction.
As the emergency room visits decline, preventive care increases, and medical conditions that could become emergencies or lifelong afflictions are spotted and addressed, said
Sicklick placed the cost to the state at
Dr.
"I see the impact on the adult side," Vitale said in testimony prepared for Tuesday's hearing. "Once a person has developed a chronic disease, they are more likely to depend on public assistance as an adult ... Increasing Husky benefits at this early stage could lead to cost savings at the state level in the future."
State Child Advocate
Dislene Battista said she struggles to care for her 11-year-old daughter, Emily, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. Battista arrived in
Speaking through an interpreter, she told the human services committee that immigrant children can be "the pride of our nation" if they can remain healthy.
Quoting Matthew 19:14, she said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
___
(c)2019 The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.)
Visit The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.) at www.courant.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Midwest floods disrupt livestock feed supplies for California farms
Report: Life Insurance Distribution Needs Reinventing Globally
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News