Bird Flu Government’s Back Up Plan to Deal with Illegal Immigration?

As scientists test for bird flu in Alaska, the Census Department released new data on the number of uninsured in America. The number grew by 1.3 million to 46.6 million people. Nearly 9.5 million uninsureds are illegal immigrants. In July Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor, quit covering illegal immigrants.

While they comprise only 20% of our countries uninsured, Republican lawmakers act as if they are the major cause of America’s problem. Normally the 80-20 rule operates the other way, but then again they confuse root cause with proximate cause.

The federal plan to deal with a bird flu pandemic is woefully inadequate. Anti-viral stockpiles and flu shots won’t come close to covering America’s nearly 300 million people. The feds will be lucky to help one sixth of the U.S. population. Government officials ensured they’re in that one sixth in the flu pandemic plan.

The end result is 5/6 of Americans will be on their own, at risk for death and disability from a flu outbreak. Market forces will take over, even if they’re black market. How will the 9.5 million illegal immigrants fare, especially the poor ones no longer on Medicaid?

I don’t think Republicans are purposefully planning for people in America to perish in a bird flu epidemic, yet their woeful product ensures such a result. However, their intentional dropping of illegal immigrants from Medicaid will harm the country’s response to a bird flu outbreak, should one occur. With millions of people trying to lay low and stay under the radar, both surveillance and early intervention become much more challenging.