Immigrants find healthcare is not always available

Hospitals across New York State, New Jersey, and Connecticut all report struggling with the costs of delivering emergency care and sometimes more to illegal immigrants and other uninsured patients, and many see it as their obligation. The Connecticut Hospital Association, for example, estimated its 29 hospitals spent $93.3 million in 2006 compared with $78 million four years before on uncompensated care, although officials did not attribute the huge increase to illegal immigrants. Medicaid permits coverage for illegal immigrants for emergency care but virtually no other services, and advocates say there is still a major void in quality healthcare for low income patients.