Two weekend stories from two coasts on immigration and the cost of health care: In California, a clinic’s practice of treating uninsured patients without asking about immigration status is being questioned, the WSJ reports . A local hospital was a key backer of the clinic, which can treat patients who need non-emergency care at a much lower cost than the emergency room. But the clinic gets funding from the county, and a county-appointed oversight board has said county funds shouldn’t be used to treat people who are in this country illegally. In Massachusetts, about 30,000 legal immigrants will lose state-subsidized health

insurance coverage, the Boston Globe reports . Though the federal government and many states don’t help pay for these “special status” immigrants — usually those who are relatively new to the country and aren’t yet citizens — Massachusetts has continued to provide them comprehensive care until now. An interim plan will cover emergency services, the Globe says. We’ve been watching Massachusetts for some time now, because the state has managed to insure almost all of its residents, but the cost has been high . Photo: iStockphoto

See the rest here:
Health Costs and Immigration (Legal and Illegal)