Submitted by: Submitted by dchicks
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Date Submitted: 05/22/2011 05:39 PM
Demographic Paper
Danette Hicks
HCS/490
04-11-2011
Mark Bunch
Demographic Paper
The impact of immigration on the public health care system in Texas is often taken for granted. There are many immigrant that come to Texas annually; however, the demographic targeted for this paper is the illegal immigrants, who often from countries with indigenous health problems and less developed health care systems. The illegal alien demographics are of greatest consequence because they are responsible for a disproportionate share of chronic and contagious public health problems in Texas, are intermingling with fellow citizens of Texas with little or no medical interventions, and often are dependent on public health care services. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission makes no distinction between legal immigrants, undocumented immigrants, refugees and those awarded asylum, costs attributed to undocumented immigrants must be estimated (Texas.gov, Feb, 2011).
Statistics Associated with Illegal Immigrants
Illegal immigrants represent about 15% of the nation's 47 million uninsured people and about 30% of the increase since 1980. the total estimated state cost for Medicaid services for undocumented immigrants was $38.7 million in, the state cost for mental health services of $3.8 million and another $4.6 million for adult and child immunizations, resulting in the Comptroller’s estimate for the total cost for state funded healthcare services of undocumented immigrants was $58 million in fiscal 2005, (Texas.gov, Feb, 2011).
Impact on Health Care Market
One of the general effects of illegal immigrants on the health care market is the resurgence of contagious and nearly obsolete illness and disease. According to Dr. Laurence Nickey, director of the El Paso heath district “Contagious diseases that are generally considered to have been controlled in the United States are readily evident along the border. The incidence of tuberculosis in El Paso County is...