MIRA Coalition Press Release: State Budget Pummels Immigrants

BOSTON - The FY10 state budget unveiled last night by House and Senate budget leaders undercuts the pledge to give all Massachusetts residents access to affordable health care. The budget eliminates coverage for 28,000 lawfully-residing, working, and taxpaying residents of the Commonwealth.

Thirty days after the budget is signed, foreign-born with "special immigration status," a group of legal immigrants that includes new legal permanent residents (green card holders) who are not eligible for federal Medicaid reimbursement, will lose Commonwealth Care coverage. This is the first step backward in eligibility since the passage of Massachusetts' historic health reform bill of 2006, and it undermines the values and promise of the legislation at a time when the Commonwealth is seen as a model for national reform.

"This is an outrage," said Eva Millona, Executive Director for the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA). "These are lawfully residing, working, tax-paying residents of the Commonwealth, just like anybody else who receives coverage. The state has targeted the residents who are least able to protest, and who are least informed about their rights. Parents who lose their coverage may not know that they will still have coverage for their children, and it creates a number of barriers to access at a time when everyone is preaching the importance of preventative and primary care. Many more people than the 28,000 directly affected will lose access as a result."

The economic rationale for these cuts does not withstand scrutiny. Lacking the most basic preventative care, these immigrants will now seek care in the safety net hospital and community health center system as they seek emergency care for many maladies that could have been treated at far less expense and with far more efficacy beforehand. Furthermore, the Health Safety Net did not receive an increase in funding to handle the higher volume of patients; in fact, it also received a cut.

The cuts in Commonwealth Care eligibility was not the only budget hit taken by immigrants. The citizenship for new Americans program, which helps low-income immigrants become naturalized U.S. citizens, took a 62% cut from initial FY09 levels, and other programs serving immigrant and refugee clients took significant hits, including domestic violence and sexual assault services, health care outreach grants, and workforce training grants.

MIRA works to advocate for the rights and opportunities of immigrants and refugees. In partnership with its members, MIRA advances this mission through education, training, leadership development, organizing, policy analysis and advocacy.