Outrageous

The White House agrees with Joe Wilson, thinks it's a good idea to stop undocumented immigrants from buying things with their own money. Hopefully they'll extend this and stop them from buying over-the-counter prescription drugs and food without showing papers, either. They're at least talking about using SAVE, a much better verification system than the blunt instrument of proof of citizenship, but it's beyond stupid to force undocumented immigrants away from getting any health insurance (basically what this would do) and into emergency rooms as their primary doctor, with higher costs for everyone, because some backbencher yelled during a speech.

A White House spokesman, Reid Cherlin, said that the president’s proposals would bar illegal immigrants from purchasing private insurance through the new government marketplace, known as an exchange, and that verification of immigration status would be required for anyone seeking to purchase coverage [...]

The White House said that illegal immigrants would still be able to purchase health insurance through the private market, as they can now, but acknowledged that the private market was certain to shrink after the creation of the new marketplace.

Many illegal immigrants must now seek medical treatment in emergency rooms, which by law cannot turn them away. In recent years, the federal government has spent $250 million a year to reimburse hospitals for bills that go unpaid as a result. The White House said those reimbursements would continue.

Jellyfish run our government. By the way, watch abortion be next. They'll move to restrict all funding for a women's right to choose, even in private plans, inside the exchanges. You can see it coming.