Maryland House Approves Health Insurance Access for Immigrants
Maryland House Approves Measure to Expand Health Insurance Access, Aims to Address Uninsured Immigrant Population
The Maryland House recently said yes to a big change in how people can get health insurance. The change means that more people even if they are not from the United States can buy health insurance through the states health care exchange. This change could start in 2026 if its approved by the Senate and gets a special permission from the federal government. The idea behind this change is to help about 256,000 people who live in Maryland but do not have health insurance because they are not citizens.
Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk who leads a group in charge of health and government stuff in the House thinks this change is a good idea. She said its important to try and stop people from getting really sick by giving them health insurance. She also said that hospitals spend a lot of money when people who do not have insurance go to the emergency room for help. Pena-Melnyk thinks that giving health insurance to people who work and pay taxes in Maryland will help everyone by making sure that hospitals aren’t too busy and that people stay healthy.
Opposition Concerned Over Potential Impact on U.S. Citizen Access to Healthcare Amid Debate Over Immigrant Coverage
But Del Mark Fisher who is a Republican from Calvert County does not agree with this change. He is worried that if more people can buy health insurance it will make it harder for people who are from the United States to see a doctor when they need to. Fisher thinks it is not fair to help people who are not citizens get health insurance when people who are citizens have to wait a long time to see a doctor. But even though there is a debate about this change it could help make sure that everyone in Maryland no matter where they are from can get the health care they need.
Leave a Reply