Journal of General Internal Medicine
Volume 31, Issue 1, 2016, Pages 122-127

Unauthorized Immigrants Prolong the Life of Medicare’s Trust Fund (Article) (Open Access)

Zallman L.* , Wilson F.A. , Stimpson J.P. , Bearse A. , Arsenault L. , Dube B. , Himmelstein D. , Woolhandler S.
  • a Institute for Community Health, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, United States, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States, Cambridge Health Alliance Department of Medicine, Cambridge, MA, United States
  • b College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
  • c City University of New York, School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY, United States
  • d Institute for Community Health, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, United States
  • e Institute for Community Health, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, United States
  • f Institute for Community Health, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, United States
  • g Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States, City University of New York, School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY, United States
  • h Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States, City University of New York, School of Public Health at Hunter College, New York, NY, United States

Abstract

Background and Objective: Unauthorized immigrants seldom have access to public health insurance programs such as Medicare Part A, which pays hospitals and other health facilities and is funded through the Medicare Trust Fund. Design and Main Measures: We tabulated annual and total Trust Fund contributions and withdrawals by unauthorized immigrants (i.e., outlays on their behalf) from 2000 to 2011 using the Current Population Survey and Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys. We estimated when the Trust Fund would be depleted if unauthorized immigrants had neither contributed to it nor withdrawn from it. We estimated Trust Fund surpluses by unauthorized immigrants if 10 % were to become authorized annually over the subsequent 7 years. Key Results: From 2000 to 2011, unauthorized immigrants contributed $2.2 to $3.8 billion more than they withdrew annually (a total surplus of $35.1 billion). Had unauthorized immigrants neither contributed to nor withdrawn from the Trust Fund during those 11 years, it would become insolvent in 2029—1 year earlier than currently predicted. If 10 % of unauthorized immigrants became authorized annually for the subsequent 7 years, Trust Fund surpluses contributed by unauthorized immigrants would total $45.7 billion. Conclusions: Unauthorized immigrants have prolonged the life of the Medicare Trust Fund. Policies that curtail the influx of unauthorized immigrants may accelerate the Trust Fund’s depletion. © 2015, Society of General Internal Medicine.

Author Keywords

health care financing immigrants Medicare

Index Keywords

multicenter study economics clinical trial human Medicare statistics and numerical data funding financial management Undocumented Immigrants United States health care cost income Humans undocumented immigrant Trust health services research social security tax Health Expenditures Article legislation and jurisprudence Retrospective Studies age distribution retrospective study health care facility citizenship
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84953359888&doi=10.1007%2fs11606-015-3418-z&partnerID=40&md5=1b008b7eb7d7e45e3027c9acc3918210
DOI: 10.1007/s11606-015-3418-z
ISSN: 08848734
Cited by: 15
Original Language: English