Immigrants contribute millions to Medicare

[Reader]

http://www.thv11.com/news/health/267207/126/Immigrants-contribute-millions-to-Medicare

UNDATED (AP) - Immigrants have contributed billions of dollars more to Medicare in recent years than the program has paid out on their behalf, according to a new study, a pattern that goes against the notion that immigrants are a drain on federal health care spending.

The study, led by researchers at Harvard Medical School, measured immigrants' contributions to the part of Medicare that pays for hospital care, a trust fund that accounts for nearly half of the federal program's revenue. It found that immigrants generated surpluses totaling $115 billion from 2002 to 2009. In comparison, the American-born population incurred a deficit of $28 billion over the same period.

The findings shed light on what demographers have long known: Immigrants are crucial in balancing the age structure of American society, providing an infusion of young, working-age adults who support the country's aging population and help cover the costs of Medicare and Social Security. And with the largest generation in the United States, the baby boomers, now starting to retire, the financial help from immigrants has never been more needed, experts said.

More at link.......

 

[Reader]

Here are 2 more sources that have the same information...seems well verified to me:

Study: Immigrants put billions more into Medicare than they use

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ut-billions-more-into-medicare-than-they-use/

When politicians talk about immigration and health care, they usually voice worries about immigrants as a drain on federal health care programs.

The idea has repeatedly surfaced in the congressional debate over immigration: What would it mean to extend legal status, and the benefits that come along with it, to millions of unauthorized workers?

New research suggests that, for the Medicare program, it would actually prove a boon: Immigrants regularly contribute billions more to the Medicare program than they draw out.

The study, published Wednesday in the journal Health Affairs, showed a surplus for immigrants’ contributions to Medicare every year between 2002 and 2009. It finds that immigrants have, over that time period, contributed $115 billion more to the Medicare program than they drew out..............

*****

Immigrants are net contributors to U.S. Medicare program : study

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/29/us-usa-immigration-health-idUSBRE94S1GB20130529

(Reuters) - Immigrants for years have paid far more into Medicare's coffers than they have pulled out, effectively subsidizing rising healthcare payments to the aging U.S. population, a study released on Wednesday showed.

The analysis from Harvard Medical School showed immigrants generated a $13.8 billion surplus for the U.S. government healthcare program for the elderly in 2009, the most recent figures available.

From 2002 through 2009 immigrants posted a Medicare surplus of $115 billion, while the American-born population logged a deficit of $28 billion in contributions...........

Personally, I always say that everyone's opinion is welcomed, but if someone is going to call information posted by me a lie, I would expect some proof to back that up from a reputable source.

 

[TGIRecovered]

Good for them!

The problem is the millions that we spend on illegal immigrants, who don't deserve to be financially supported by the country whose laws they break by coming here illegally. Those are the ones who are draining our budget.

The difference between people who are here legally and those who are not is regularly ignored by those who want to make conservatives seem to be racist and heartless. An immigrant deserves credit for doing it right, contributing to our economy and obeying the law.

My comments are just about the article, not directed toward you, Reader! Thanks for posting it!

MOO



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Reader]

Good for them!

The problem is the millions that we spend on illegal immigrants, who don't deserve to be financially supported by the country whose laws they break by coming here illegally. Those are the ones who are draining our budget.

The difference between people who are here legally and those who are not is regularly ignored by those who want to make conservatives seem to be racist and heartless. An immigrant deserves credit for doing it right, contributing to our economy and obeying the law.

My comments are just about the article, not directed toward you, Reader! Thanks for posting it!

MOO



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for your post TGIRecovered. Not to get into a political discussion, but I just wanted to let you know that the actual study cited in these articles states that these figures cover contributions from legal and illegal immigrants:

Immigrants generated surpluses of $11.1–$17.2 billion per year between 2002 and 2009, resulting in a cumulative surplus of $115.2 billion. Most of the surplus from immigrants was contributed by noncitizens and was a result of the high proportion of working-age taxpayers in this group. Policies that restrict immigration may deplete Medicare’s financial resources.

http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/early/2013/05/20/hlthaff.2012.1223

 

[TGIRecovered]

Would a non-citizen necessarily be here illegally? To me, illegal would be if someone had no permission to be living here at all, if they sneaked in or gave a false ID, or if they didn't leave when their visa (or whatever) was up. Many non-citizens live here legally. MOO

I've had friends from another country who spent many years here in the US, going to college, working and building their own business, before their citizenship came through. They were here legally because they had work or student visas or whatever else was required to remain in the US. Still, they were not actual citizens yet.

That is what I took it to mean when the article referred to non-citizens, but its hard to know what the writer actually meant. :dunno:

Thanks again for posting it!

 

[Peliman]

Here are 2 more sources that have the same information...seems well verified to me:

Study: Immigrants put billions more into Medicare than they use

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ut-billions-more-into-medicare-than-they-use/

When politicians talk about immigration and health care, they usually voice worries about immigrants as a drain on federal health care programs.

The idea has repeatedly surfaced in the congressional debate over immigration: What would it mean to extend legal status, and the benefits that come along with it, to millions of unauthorized workers?

New research suggests that, for the Medicare program, it would actually prove a boon: Immigrants regularly contribute billions more to the Medicare program than they draw out.

Let me ask a question. One can't draw medicare until the age of 65 or a few certain conditions which explains why there might be a surplus. The majority of healthcare expenses for those under 65 are funded by state medicaid programs.

So what are the medicaid expenses since one can not collect medicare until 65 yrs or meet a limited number of conditions. Are we doing fuzzy math again?

Who can get Medicare?
Hospital insurance (Part A)
Most people age 65 or older who are citizens or permanent
residents of the United States are eligible for free Medicare
hospital insurance (Part A). You are eligible at age 65 if:
• You receive or are eligible to receive Social Security
benefits; or
• You receive or are eligible to receive railroad retirement
benefits; or
• Your spouse receives or is eligible to receive Social
Security or railroad retirement benefits; or
• You or your spouse (living or deceased, including
divorced spouses) worked long enough in a government
job where Medicare taxes were paid; or
• You are the dependent parent of a fully insured
deceased child.

If you do not meet these requirements, you may be able
to get Medicare hospital insurance by paying a monthly
premium. Usually, you can sign up for this hospital
insurance only during designated enrollment periods

http://ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10043.pdf

 

[21merc7]

I'm guessing this is all based on LEGAL immigrants that have tax paying jobs. The illegal immigrants don't pay taxes, they get paid in cash, so they do not contribute to medicare, and yes, they overload our system by somehow getting benefits like welfare, food stamps, housing, heat assistance, etc... for their entire lives, and yet people born here cannot always get the assistance they need. Confuses me.

As far as I am concerned, a LEGAL immigrant is a tax paying American, and should be only considered a tax paying American in a financial study. Once you are a tax paying American, that is what you are. Tax dollars do not see race.

 

[Sonya610]

I'm guessing this is all based on LEGAL immigrants that have tax paying jobs.

The article says it includes both legal and illegal.

The kicker here is they are only mentioning MEDICARE! You nearly always have to be 65 or older to get Medicare.

What about Medicaid for the poor, uninsured and their children? The only mention that the "individuals" contribute more to Medicare than they use but are they (or are their children) receiving Medicaid which comes out of the same fund? Are they going to hospitals and emergency rooms as "uninsured" and undocumented and letting the hospital and the taxpayers fund their treatments?

The article is obviously carefully worded and very politically biased.

 

[tlcya]

Spin is spin and this here is spinning like a top MOO

 

[i.b.nora]

I don't see the spin myself. The article talks about a study by "a team of Harvard University researchers looked at immigrants’ contributions to Medicare’s Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, which (as the name might make obvious) covers seniors hospital visits. The trust fund is largely financed by payroll taxes, meaning that current workers tend to pay into the program."

It isn't taking on every aspect of immigration, so its interesting to me to see people going ballistic over one tiny study.

Also, the article sums up with the plus side and minus side to the information.

 

[21merc7]

Ah, I see.

There is no way illegal immigrants pay INTO medicare. They don't have jobs that take any money out of what they are paid. They get paid by cash. I see. Thanks everyone.

I don't see anyone going ballistic. I see inquiring minds.

 

[Sonya610]

There is no way illegal immigrants pay INTO medicare. They don't have jobs that take any money out of what they are paid. They get paid by cash. I see. Thanks everyone.

They use someone else's social security number and forged documents. Many of them are NOT just paid in cash, restaurant chains like Chipolte ran into big trouble because they were employing so many illegal workers.

Regardless saying they don't use much "Medicare" doesn't mean squat, they don't use it because most don't qualify for it YET. How much do they cost per household for medicaid (which their children often quality for), food stamps, hospital bills, prison bills, etc.... Add up ALL of the costs and tell me if they contribute more than they take from the US.

Social security funds are dwindling in large part because so many are on medicaid and SSI....that means those of us that have worked for decades may not ever see a return on the money we put into the program since it has been used up by often by other folks that never contributed anything at all!

While many Americans believe illegal immigrants don't pay taxes, billions of dollars deducted from paychecks issued to undocumented workers flow to the Social Security Administration (SSA) every year. Those workers almost certainly will never see that money again.

http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2017113852_immigtaxes29.html

 

[21merc7]

Wow! Had no idea about the use of other SSI#'s!

 

[txsvicki]

I don't know about kids, but most uninsured adults in texas, legal or illegal, can't get medicaid unless maybe having a baby or maybe a pap smear program.

 

[nothingnew]

They use someone else's social security number and forged documents. Many of them are NOT just paid in cash, restaurant chains like Chipolte ran into big trouble because they were employing so many illegal workers.

Regardless saying they don't use much "Medicare" doesn't mean squat, they don't use it because most don't qualify for it YET. How much do they cost per household for medicaid (which their children often quality for), food stamps, hospital bills, prison bills, etc.... Add up ALL of the costs and tell me if they contribute more than they take from the US.

Social security funds are dwindling in large part because so many are on medicaid and SSI....that means those of us that have worked for decades may not ever see a return on the money we put into the program since it has been used up by often by other folks that never contributed anything at all!

Are you missing the part where they do not get SSI? That special benefit goes to such contributors to society as the meth mommy and daddies that hand their babies over to gran and gramps to raise, THEY are legal and they get paid to raise the grandchildren that their kids feel no responsibility towards. Bi-polar multi breeders-same thing-Grandma gets a check from the government and we get to foo the bill for special meds etc. The illegals cannot collect SSI because they do not have legit SS numbers. Hence the overage from the illegals while we continue to encourage breeding of the inbreds. THAT is where the overage comes from-they pay in but cannot collect. And if their kids are getting a FREE education here then fabulous because a person can never be over educated, right? Yay, USA!

 

[txsvicki]

Grandparents in texas and probably many other states don't get any checks for raising kids. They can get about 65 dollars per month and medicaid but that's it. They started a kinship program but according to the website that lttle bit of help stops once the relative gets legal custody after it's decided the parents won't get them back. If the grandparent is disabled the kids are also not eligible for survivor or VA benefits unless adopted. Many kids aren't affected enough to qualify for disability.

 

[Reader]

Here are some fact checks about various claims of government benefits and other information about illegal immigrants:

Facebook post claims nearly 60 percent of public housing residents are illegal immigrants - pants on fire...

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-m...osts/facebook-post-60-percent-public-housing/

-----

"Less than 2 percent of illegals are picking crops, but 41 percent are on welfare." - mostly false

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-m...ok-post-says-less-2-percent-illegals-are-pic/

-----

Facebook post says more than 43 percent of all food stamps are given to illegal immigrants - pants on fire

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-m...ok-post-says-more-43-percent-all-food-stamps/

-----

Assemblywoman McHose says illegal immigration costs New Jersey taxpayers more than $3 billion annually - false

http://www.politifact.com/new-jerse...lywoman-mchose-says-illegal-immigration-cost/

------

Gorman says illegal immigrants cost Rhode Island $400 million annually--
pants on fire.

http://www.politifact.com/rhode-isl...-says-illegal-immigrants-cost-rhode-island-4/

-----

Vern Buchanan says illegal immigration costs Florida taxpayers $4 billion a year - false

http://www.politifact.com/florida/s...uchanan-says-illegal-immigration-costs-flori/

-----

Kathie Glass says more than 25 percent of state budget funds services to non-citizens - pants on fire

Summing up: Glass based her claim on a months' old Facebook post that she evidently didn't verify and that the senator who made the post says may be overstated. A 2009 analysis by an anti-illegal immigration group pegs the cost of services to illegal immigrants at a figure that's about 7 percent of the state's budget -- up to $12 billion over two years, well short of the $45 billion suggested by Glass. And the only relevant state agency report [Texas] we found said that state revenue from illegal immigrants exceeded what they cost the state budget in fiscal 2005.

http://www.politifact.com/texas/sta...-glass-says-more-25-percent-state-budget-fun/

-----

Congressional candidate Daniel Mielke says almost 30% of federal prisoners are illegal immigrants - false

http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin...ssional-candidate-daniel-mielke-says-almost-/

------

Loughlin says carrying drugs is the price people have to pay to sneak into the U.S. from Mexico - pants on fire

http://www.politifact.com/rhode-isl...in-says-carrying-drugs-price-people-have-pay/

We then called Steven Cribby, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who pulled statistics for the Tucson sector, which covers 262 miles of Arizona border, from the New Mexico state line to Yuma, Arizona. It's also the biggest and busiest sector.

The 100 people (about 22 per month) picked up in Pinal County turns out to be a drop in the bucket. From Oct. 1, 2008 through Sept. 30, 2009, the border patrol apprehended 241,673 people (20,000 per month), Cribby said.

How many of the 241,673 cases involved drugs? Cribby said the Border Patrol logged 1,602 apprehensions in "drug-related events" for that period.

We did the math. That's less than 1 percent (0.66 percent) of all the apprehensions from that Border Patrol sector.

But Cribby stressed that not everyone who is apprehended in a drug-related event is actually involved with drugs. "It just means they were apprehended in the same event," he said.

So the actual percentage could be even lower.

 

[Elley Mae]

http://www.thv11.com/news/health/267207/126/Immigrants-contribute-millions-to-Medicare

UNDATED (AP) - Immigrants have contributed billions of dollars more to Medicare in recent years than the program has paid out on their behalf, according to a new study, a pattern that goes against the notion that immigrants are a drain on federal health care spending.

The study, led by researchers at Harvard Medical School, measured immigrants' contributions to the part of Medicare that pays for hospital care, a trust fund that accounts for nearly half of the federal program's revenue. It found that immigrants generated surpluses totaling $115 billion from 2002 to 2009. In comparison, the American-born population incurred a deficit of $28 billion over the same period.

The findings shed light on what demographers have long known: Immigrants are crucial in balancing the age structure of American society, providing an infusion of young, working-age adults who support the country's aging population and help cover the costs of Medicare and Social Security. And with the largest generation in the United States, the baby boomers, now starting to retire, the financial help from immigrants has never been more needed, experts said.

More at link.......

bbm, makes perfect sense to me

snipped from link

"It's a yawner of a study," he said. "Young people don't get Medicare. We don't need several Ph.D.s to tell us that."

 

[EmmaliLucia]

Okay I have to write this:


Out of all the illegal immigrants I have known, all of them pay taxes. Not just income taxes (Which you really have no choice but to contribute) but the government will give them social security numbers and they will pay honest to God taxes, they don't get the tax breaks that we do, and they don't do it because their forced to, and even though they pay taxes, at any point they could be deported for just about anything, paying taxes gives them a tiny leg up, but not enough of one for them to be considered legal.


It sucks, most of the illegal aliens I know work their tails off to make a better life for their kids, but because no place offering more than minimum wage will hire them, they get stuck in bad neighbourhoods where their children (Who were born here, or not) learn really bad habits. But that's just what I've observed

 

[Sonya610]

Here are some fact checks about various claims of government benefits and other information about illegal immigrants:

Facebook post claims nearly 60 percent of public housing residents are illegal immigrants - pants on fire...

One minute it is Harvard...and the next the opposing side is Facebook quotes.

Okay then.

I don't need Harvard Professors or Facebook opinions to show me reality. The country is falling a part.

Guess maybe soon people will be fleeing to Mexico (oh wait....they have really strict immigration laws!).