Mexico Helps Illegals Obtain CA Healthcare

From today's L.A. Times: "A program called Ventanillas de Salud, or Health Windows, aims to provide Mexican immigrants with basic health information, cholesterol checks and other preventive tests. It also makes referrals to U.S. hospitals, health centers and government programs where patients can get care without fear of being turned over to immigration authorities.

"'Being undocumented, we thought we didn't have the right to certain things,' said Rosalba Hernandez, 26, who came to the U.S. two years ago and lives in Panorama City... But after a visit to the Mexican Consulate last week to get her consular ID card, Hernandez now knows she can get affordable insurance and free access to some government health services."

Medi-Cal services for illegal immigrants in L.A. County came to $440 million in 2005; the statewide cost last year was more than $1.1 billion.

Of course, Mexico would never dream of picking up these costs for its citizens...