The stranger who sojourns with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love the stranger as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. - Leviticus 19: 33-34

In June, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives both passed legislation (S. 1 and HR 1, respectively) to add a prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries. In the coming weeks, a House-Senate conference committee will work to resolve the differences between the two bills - including how the benefit will be structured, how much Medicare recipients will pay for drugs, and what role private plans should have in service delivery. In addition, they will debate a small provision for legal immigrants (which is included in the Senate version, S.1). The provision was included to allow states the option to restore Medicaid coverage for legal immigrant children and pregnant women and allow them to qualify for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This provision, which would authorize this option for three years, could make a big difference in the well-being of children and pregnant women.

Senator Bob Graham (D-FL) included this provision in the legislation and noted, “Last year, hundreds of thousands of low-income legal immigrant children around the country had no options when it came to health care,” and he added that this provision “will go a long way towards assuring that all deserving children get health care.”

When Congress passed its 1996 welfare reform legislation, it put a 5-year ban on federal payments for benefits for legal immigrants. Because of this legislative change, new legal immigrants, including children, have not qualified for federal benefits (including Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program) until they had been in the country for five years.

Because of the federal restrictions that went into effect in 1996, 20 states decided to provide health benefits to legal immigrants with their own funds. State funding for these benefits has helped many children and pregnant women with their health care. However, federal funds would allow for many more in need access to essential health care services.

The immigrant provision in the Senate’s Medicare bill is based on The Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act, S. 845. By providing states the option of restoring Medicaid and SCHIP for legal immigrant children and pregnant women, immigrant children would have access to health services, including immunizations, regular check-ups and preventative care. In addition, legal immigrant pregnant women who have no access to prenatal care would be eligible for Medicaid.

Contact your Members of Congress and urge them to support the provisions for immigrant children and pregnant women in S. 1, the Senate Medicare bill. Ask that the provisions be included in the final version of prescription drug benefit legislation. Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected with your Member of Congress. To learn more about your Members of Congress, log onto the Presby Legislative Action Center, http://capwiz.com/pcusa/dbq/officials/.

Sample script: “I am calling to urge Senator/Representative ________ to support the provisions in S.1, the Senate Medicare bill, that would give states the option to restore Medicaid and SCHIP benefits for legal immigrant children and pregnant women. Please tell House and Senate conferees to include these provisions in the final prescription drug benefit legislation”

General Assembly Policy:

The following are selected recommendations from “Transformation of Churches and Society Through Encounter with New Neighbors,” adopted by the 211th General Assembly (1999) of the PC(USA):

The Christian confession of Jesus Christ as Lord transforms "strangers" into neighbors who are welcomed into our communities.
Churches are called to ministry with refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants, and to public witness on their behalf.

Christians have the responsibility to challenge and to shape government policy regarding refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants.
Love of neighbor requires Christians to seek justice for refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants.

Faithfulness to Christ means Christians always live in tension with national values and policies.