1 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to wellness. 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 2: I'm mass I'm doctor Nicole Saftfire and this is your weekly. 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:08,559 Speaker 1: Rundown well Friday, October third. 4 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 2: And Yes, the federal government has shut down, and it's 5 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 2: really all about immigration and healthcare. Republicans say that the 6 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 2: Democrats want to provide health coverage for illegal immigrants, and 7 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 2: the Democrats say that they're lying that Republicans are distorting facts. 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 2: So who's telling the truth, who's not well kind of 9 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 2: a little bit of both. But I figure I will 10 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 2: just break down the facts because by looking at social media, 11 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 2: it seems like a lot of people don't really understand 12 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 2: the nuance of it. And even some of the politicians 13 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,480 Speaker 2: who are responsible for the shutdown, I don't even. 14 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: Think they understand what's going on. 15 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 2: So it all boils down to a couple of really 16 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 2: big things. First of all, the subsidies under the Affordable 17 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 2: Care Act, those are set to us expire. Some of 18 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 2: the expansion subsidies that happened through COVID, they are going 19 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 2: to expire at the end of this year. So the 20 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 2: Democrats are saying we want to con tinue of those 21 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 2: expansion subsidies. 22 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: Republicans aren't saying no to that. 23 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 2: Actually they're just saying, we just don't need this in 24 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 2: this short cur bill. We'll talk about that later. We 25 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 2: have until the end of the year. So that's one thing. 26 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:14,839 Speaker 1: The other thing really just goes back to the Big 27 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: Beautiful Bill. 28 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,479 Speaker 2: In the Big Beautiful Bill, that Republican bill that got 29 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,479 Speaker 2: a lot of media attention was what they did. They 30 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 2: narrowed the Medicaid eligibility when it comes to migrants. So 31 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 2: Medicaid is the government funded health insurance for people who 32 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 2: cannot afford it. So in the Big Beautiful Bill, they 33 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 2: narrowed who is eligible. They said eligibility for Medicaid should 34 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:46,199 Speaker 2: be restricted to those full legal American citizens, those who 35 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 2: have a Green card who are permanent citizens now, and 36 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 2: also some Cubans, Haitians and some Pacific Islanders. But the 37 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 2: big crux of it was that they narrowed the coverage 38 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 2: so that refugees and asylum seekers and though those coming 39 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 2: under the parole programs are no longer eligible. 40 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: So that's about like one point. 41 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 2: Four million people who would classify under that and would 42 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 2: potentially lose healthcare coverage because they're no longer eligible for Medicaid. 43 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 2: What I find interesting is this that the asylum seekers 44 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:25,679 Speaker 2: or those who were granted asylum were then eligible for Medicaid. 45 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 2: So if you remember during the four years of a 46 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 2: Biden White House, you had a lot and I mean 47 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 2: a lot of people illegally cross the border who were 48 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 2: subsequently granted asylum that automatically made them eligible to receive 49 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 2: Medicaid and other government funded subsidies. So the question is 50 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 2: are they illegal or are they legal. Democrats are saying 51 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 2: they're here legally because they were granted asylum, So technically 52 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 2: that's correct because they're documented now. 53 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: They may have come here legal, but if they. 54 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 2: Were granted asylum by the Biden administration, they're technically here legally, 55 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 2: so they believe that they should have access to Medicaid 56 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 2: and other tax payer funds. Republicans are saying, well, they 57 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 2: came here illegally and so no asylum or not, they 58 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 2: should not be entitled to some of these programs because 59 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 2: they're trying to deter people from coming here illegally. So 60 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 2: the way to do that is saying, even if you're 61 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 2: granted asylum, you are not going to be eligible for. 62 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: All of these tax payer funded programs. It's actually pretty clear. 63 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 2: The other thing is the bill also decreased federal reimbursement 64 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 2: to hospitals that provide emergency care to undocumented and illegal migrants. 65 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 2: If someone shows up at the emergency room, they are 66 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 2: going to receive care, not just because they're compassionate and 67 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 2: they have an ethical duty, although they have those as well, 68 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 2: but because. 69 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: They're legally obligated to that's right. 70 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 2: That law was passed several decades ago, and no one's 71 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 2: talking about undoing that law. So legally, hospitals have to 72 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 2: treat anyone who shows up to the emergency department, documented 73 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 2: or not. So the federal government and the big beautiful bill, 74 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 2: they're saying, well, we're just not going to pay the 75 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 2: hospitals as much for their care because obviously caring for 76 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 2: this patience costs the hospital money and the hospital needs 77 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 2: to be reimbursed for the care. If hospitals are not 78 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 2: reimbursed for the care, the hospitals will go under. So 79 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 2: not just the undocumented don't have anywhere to go, but 80 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 2: other people won't have anywhere to go. And this will 81 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 2: really impact rural hospitals and hospitals that serve the underprivileged areas. 82 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 2: So it's not a good idea to cut funding to 83 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 2: these already struggling hospitals. This is an immigration problem. This 84 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:48,720 Speaker 2: is not a health care problem. 85 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: So what you need to. 86 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 2: Do is, if you want fewer illegal immigrants going to 87 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:55,720 Speaker 2: the emergency departments, you need to have fewer illegal immigrants 88 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 2: in the country. Well, as we know, the border was 89 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 2: quite wide open under the Biden It's somewhat closed now 90 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 2: under the Trump administration. But still there are a lot 91 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 2: of illegal immigrants here in the country. 92 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: So what to do about them? 93 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 2: Well, they can't say we're not going to pay for 94 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 2: the hospitals. If the hospitals are providing care for these patients, 95 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,400 Speaker 2: as they are legally obligated to do, you have to 96 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 2: pay them because Americans will suffer if these small hospitals close. 97 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 2: So this is a big problem, and this is something 98 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 2: that needs to be discussed because the last thing we 99 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 2: need are even fewer hospitals in underprivileged areas. Thanks for 100 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:34,919 Speaker 2: listening to Wellness Unmasks. I'm doctor Nicole Soffire. This was 101 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 2: your weekly rundown. I know it's all confusing, but at 102 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 2: the end of the days, Republicans and Democrats they are 103 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 2: arguing semantics and it is all about the migrants that 104 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,239 Speaker 2: have come here who have gottenn asylum, they're refugees. Should 105 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 2: they be eligible for Medicaid and other taxpayer funded subsidies. 106 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: Well, that's a question. We should put it to the polls. 107 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 2: Something tells me, since President Trump was elected, that the 108 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 2: people are going to say, no, we want our taxpayer 109 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 2: dollars to be more in our pockets than going to 110 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:06,720 Speaker 2: some of these other people. 111 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: That's my take. Hope you listen next time. 112 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:12,239 Speaker 2: You can listen to Wellness on Mouse with doctor Nichole 113 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 2: Sapfire on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts, and 114 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 2: I'll see you next time.