H/T, One Old Vet, for spotting a valuable item in Judicial Watch’s Corruption Chronicles. The story, L.A.County’s $48 Million Monthly Anchor Baby Tab is a succinct, and given the Health Care row, very pertinent discussion of the financial impact of illegal alien births.

Taxpayers in the nation’s most populous county dished out nearly $50 million in a single month to cover only the welfare costs of illegal immigrants, representing a whopping $10 million increase over the same one-month period two years ago. In June 2009 alone Los Angeles County spent $48 million ($26 million in food stamps and $22 million in welfare) to provide just two of numerous free public services to the children of illegal aliens, which will translate into an annual tab of nearly $600 million for the cash-strapped county

(VDARE.com emphasis) The story stems from some digging done by Fifth District Supervisor Michael D. Antonivich, who adds

Annually the cost of illegal immigration to Los Angeles County taxpayers exceeds over $1 billion dollars, which includes $350 million for public safety, $400 million for healthcare, and $500 million in welfare and food stamps allocations. Twenty-four percent of the County’s total allotment of welfare and food stamp benefits goes directly to the children of illegal aliens born in the United States.

(VDARE.com emphasis)

Corruption Chronicles notes:

The figure doesn’t even include the exorbitant cost of educating…illegal aliens in the sprawling county of about 10 million residents… Just last year a renowned economist, who has thoroughly researched the impact of illegal immigration, published a book breaking down the country’s $346 billion annual cost to educate, jail, medically treat and incarcerate illegal aliens throughout the U.S.

This refers to a Social Contract study by Ed Rubenstein of April last year.

Quite correctly, One Old Vet sharpens the emphasis of these reports on the fact these are Anchor Babies — enough trouble today, far more in the future. He also has found a useful discussion of the legislative situation here: Is Birthright Citizenship Finally Nearing an End?

But returning to Health costs, OOV produces a gem: ILLEGALS Destroying Las Vegas Hospital , By Paul Harasim , Las Vegas Review-Journal August 16, 2009 is a Ground Zero account of the devastation caused by torrential mass immigration and foolish pro-immigrant legislators, in this case at the city's University Medical Center:

"Our people are really torn," said Brian Brannman, UMC's chief operating officer. "We want to take care of people who are ill. We're proud that we can save lives. But our employees are also worried about the survival of UMC. They know that the appetite of taxpayers for helping undocumented immigrants is limited." Since April, UMC has been spending about $2 million per month providing emergency dialysis services to 80 illegal immigrants, Brannman said. He projects that these services at UMC could run more than $24 million in the current fiscal year. In each of the five prior years, the hospital provided the same emergency services to half as many illegal immigrants for a little more than $1 million per month.

(VDARE.com: i.e., doubled this year.)

Brannman said the hospital receives no reimbursement from federal, state or local sources to provide this life-saving treatment for people who have entered the country illegally. But under federal law, any patient who shows up at an emergency department requesting an examination or treatment for a medical condition must be given an appropriate medical screening to determine whether there is an emergency. If there is, treatment must be provided.

The problem is not just cost:

…taxpayers can expect to pay more to wait longer for their own emergency services. "There's no question that these illegals who come for dialysis treatment at emergency rooms back everything up," said Dr. Dale Carrison, UMC's head of emergency services, adding that most require treatment two or three times a week…But this isn't how emergency rooms were meant to be used."

The federal government kicked the can down the road on the immigration issue and gave the bill to us," Brannman said. "This is a federal policy failure that is driving huge health care costs to our citizens.

(Congratulate reporter Paul Harasim on superbly candid reporting.)

VDARE.com has long maintained ”shunting” the costs of illegal immigration by compensatory billing onto Americans who have health insurance is one of the great hidden burdens of immigration.

Good work, One Old Vet