5 Years is Too Long: Call TODAY to End Waiting Periods for Immigrants

WE CAN’T WAIT FOR AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE:
National Call-In Day TODAY to End Waiting Periods for Immigrants

Your state needs affordable health reform with a strong public insurance option for all our residents. That includes family members, friends, and fellow students and workers who are immigrants. Under the proposed health reform legislation, low-income legal immigrants would still have to wait FIVE YEARS to access federally-funded programs such as Medicaid and Medicare.

Immigrants pay the same taxes as citizens, and should be able to rely on the same programs when they fall ill or lose their incomes. No one should have to wait for access to necessary medical treatment. Let’s get affordable health care for everyone, including immigrants.

House leaders are in the midst of merging their health care bills – now is the time to stand up for immigrant families.

One thing you can do is to tell your Member of Congress to eliminate the waiting period for low-income legal immigrants today!

Call: 1-866-967-6018

Sample script: when you reach an office, ask to leave a legislative comment.

* I’m calling from (your location).
* My community urgently needs affordable health reform that includes a public option and includes everyone in my community, including immigrants.
* I want my Congressmember to tell Speaker Pelosi to eliminate the 5 year waiting period for legal immigrants so they can have access to federal programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP. This will save everyone costs, improve our community’s health, and is the fair thing to do.
* The exchange shouldn’t exclude anyone who wants to pay their fair share and buy affordable health insurance – having more people pay-in will make premiums more affordable for all of us.

National Immigration Law Center
Five Year Bar Fact Sheet and Talking Points

Immigration Policy Center
Including Legal Immigrants in Health Care Reform: Just What the Doctor Ordered