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Senators press witnesses on undocumented immigrants and Medicaid eligibility
Summary
A heated exchange saw Senator Marino pressing witnesses on whether undocumented immigrants should receive taxpayer‑funded health care; witnesses responded that emergency care is available in limited circumstances and non‑emergency coverage is generally not provided to undocumented residents.
Senator Marino directly asked witnesses whether people in the U.S. without authorization "should be allowed to get health care on the backs of the American taxpayer," pressing for a simple yes or no. Mr. Schneider answered that emergency care is provided in limited circumstances, saying in effect that the law restricts non‑emergency Medicaid coverage for undocumented individuals: "If you needed emergency health care... those same services emergency are provided..."
The exchange underscored legal limits on non‑emergency coverage for undocumented individuals and divided committee members on the moral and policy framing. Senators and witnesses discussed statutory eligibility rules and the narrow circumstances—such as emergency care—under which scholars and witnesses agreed undocumented individuals may receive Medicaid‑funded services.
