A study released by the researchers at the Harvard Medical School, states that the immigrants have contributed around $115 billion to Medicare. This significant contribution was made by the immigrants between 2001 and 2009. At the same time, the study states that the Americans have taken away $28 billion more than they subsidized to the Medicare trust Fund. Medicare is the health insurance program of the United States and it is meant for Americans above age 65. Likewise, Americans with certain disabilities also could obtain benefits and the payroll taxes are being used to finance Medicare.
Contributions that the Americans and the immigrants make are the same but they do not receive the same benefits from Medicare. Reports state that immigrants are not old enough to receive benefits and that they are younger than the Americans. Nevertheless, few immigrants are old enough to receive benefits. Researchers at the Harvard Medical school who conducted the research took into account the contribution made by the immigrants to Medicare, that pays for hospital care. More than half of the Medicare funds are being used to pay for hospital care.
This study states that the immigrants do not take advantage of federal health care spending. Immigrants, according to the study are supporting America’s aging population and are helping to cover the cost of Social Security and Medicare. The legislation of the Gang of Eight would legalize undocumented immigrants. Opponents of immigration reform who state that the legalization of undocumented immigrants would cost the country a lot, argue that the undocumented immigrants if legalized would receive more from the federal budget than they contribute. Nevertheless, the lawmakers have not yet come to an agreement on whether the undocumented immigrants should be granted access to health benefits before they become eligible for US citizenship.
The study conducted by the researchers at Harvard Medical school was concerned only with Medicare. Many believe that the immigrants are takers and that they take away more than they contribute. This new study shows that the immigrants have contributed billions of dollars to Medicare and that they are not takers.