National Poll Finds Most Americans Believe Immigration Adversely Affects the Quality and Cost of Healthcare

/PRNewswire-/ -- The American Council for Immigration Reform (ANCIR) national poll on immigration and its impact on health care issues conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC, of 1,000 likely voters on August 26, 2009 found that 78% of Americans believe that high immigration levels have had an adverse impact on the quality and cost of our health care system. Republicans (89%) felt more strongly on the issue, but Democrats (69%) were not far behind. Other key findings were:

-- Seventy-three percent (73%) of likely voters agreed that hospitals
should be allowed to inquire and collect data about the immigration
status of those seeking Emergency Room care without affecting the
legal requirement that they must provide emergency care. Just 18%
said no.
-- Seventy-seven percent (77%) of the respondents believed that providing
health insurance to illegal immigrants will just encourage more
illegal immigration.
-- After receiving emergency medical care, if it is determined that an
illegal immigrant will require long term follow-up medical care, 47%
believed that the person should be deported to his/her home country.
38% believed care should be provided, but time and cost limits should
be established for eventual deportation. Only 8% believed long term
care should be provided in the U.S.
-- Eighty-three percent (83%) of likely voters were very or somewhat
concerned that the United States will add 135 million people to its
population in the next 40 years, 75% of which is due to immigration.
Republicans (90%) were more concerned than Democrats (74%).
-- Seventy-eight percent (78%) of likely voters were opposed to
legalizing the status of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants
in the U.S. with only 19% supporting it. 88% of African-Americans
were opposed to legalization.
-- Fifty-five percent (55%) were opposed to a government insurance option
under any national health care plan with 28% in favor and 17% not
sure. 73% of Republicans were opposed with 11% in favor. A plurality
of Democrats (47%) supported a government option with 34% opposed and
19% unsure.

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Medicare, Social Security Owe Up to $52 Trillion to Current Retirees and Workers

RJ Note: Now ain't this a kick in the ole wallet.

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- If the federal government stopped the Medicare and Social Security programs tomorrow -- collecting no more payroll taxes and allowing no more accrual of benefits -- it would still owe up to $52 trillion to those who have already earned these benefits, according to a new study by the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA).

"The numbers are staggering," said Andrew Rettenmaier, an NCPA senior fellow and coauthor of the study. "No one thinks we are going to end these programs," he said, "but if we account for federal obligations the way private pensions and state and local governments are required to, the federal government owes up to $52 trillion (in current dollars) as of today."

To put the numbers in perspective, the size of the entire U.S. economy is $14 trillion. The newly released study determined that:

-- An estimated $9.5 trillion is owed to current retirees -- an amount
equal to almost $250,000 per person 65 years of age and older in 2008.
-- Adding the liability owed to those nearing retirement (55 and older)
more than doubles the accrued debt to $20.6 trillion.
-- Adding the benefits accrued by younger workers brings the total to as
much as $52 trillion. The beneficiaries include all retirees, as well
as anyone in the workforce above 22 years of age.

If Medicare and Social Security continue on their current course, the obligations of taxpayers will grow. In the spring, the Social Security/Medicare trustees reported that if Social Security and Medicare were to continue indefinitely, the present value of the unfunded obligation is $101.7 trillion, or seven times the size of the national economy.

Currently, the two programs combined are spending more than they are receiving in premiums and dedicated taxes:

-- By 2012, one of every 10 income tax dollars will be needed to close
the funding gap for Social Security and Medicare.
-- By 2030, almost half of all income tax dollars will be needed to close
the funding gap.
-- By 2070, almost 80 cents of every income tax dollar will be needed to
cover the cash-flow deficit in the two programs.

"Without reform, paying for elderly entitlements will crowd out other federal spending or will require substantial tax increases," said Rettenmaier.

"The longer we postpone reform, the worse the financial picture becomes," he said. "Procrastinating will make the cost of reform even more painful."

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