Illegal immigrants aren't supposed to be covered under Medicaid except in emergencies. It turns out that emergency care adds up to a lot of money, as Phil Galewitz of Kaiser Health News reports.
A study by the Government Accountability Office says the annual cost to Medicaid, counting both federal and state contributions, is $2 billion. Data collected by Kaiser shows Florida spent $214 million on Emergency Medicaid for about 31,000 illegal immigrant patients in 2011.
