Federal program could subsidize health care for illegal immigrants, group warns in ad

(Daily Caller News Foundation) – A conservative group is launching a five-figure TV ad buy on Tuesday in states considering legislation that could expand a program providers can use to award illegal immigrants government-subsidized health care, the Daily Caller News Foundation first learned.

New York has been using the federal 340B Drug Discount Program to provide “[subsidized] costs of care for undocumented, uninsured and underinsured” individuals, among other services. As West Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma have pending bills that would strengthen the 340B federal program, Building America’s Future is running an ad in those respective states to highlight the potential dangers of subsidized health care for illegal immigrants, according to the group.

“The border is broken. Millions illegally pouring into our country. But it’s not just the border. Your tax dollars are at work for illegal immigrants. The more we look, the more we find,” the ad said. “Our police are under assault. Free credit cards for illegals and free health care? They’re using a program currently under investigation called 340B to launder your money and provide free health care for illegal immigrants. The more we look the more we find. We need Republicans to stand up for us.”

While the 340B program is not directly funded by taxpayer dollars, it allows health care providers to “stretch scarce federal resources as far as possible” and doesn’t specify how such savings can be used, according to the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA). For instance, New York uses the program to “reinvest savings to expand access to care in medically underserved communities.”

Building America’s Future is spending nearly $70,000 on the reservation, which is set to run for two weeks in the three states, according to the group.

A bill in West Virginia recently passed both chambers of the state legislature, and is pending Republican Gov. Jim Justice’s signature. Another in Kentucky has been introduced in the state Senate, and two pieces of legislation in Oklahoma have passed out of their respective committees in both chambers.

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia is considering vetoing similar legislation over concerns of how the program could be used, according to The National Desk.

“He is deeply concerned about the federal 340b program and how it could be exploited to provide taxpayer subsidized health care to illegal immigrants,” a spokesperson for the governor told the outlet.

A Tyson Group survey released on March 4 found an overwhelming majority of Republican primary voters opposing states strengthening the program and potentially allowing for subsidized health care for illegal immigrants. The poll also indicated 75% of likely GOP voters are less likely to support candidates who sign legislation that would strengthen such an initiative.

The 340B Drug Discount Program was first enacted in 1992 via the Veterans Health Care Act to reduce the cost of covered drugs, according to HRSA.

Building America’s Future previously aired an ad alongside President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech taking aim at his administration’s policies over the death of 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, whose alleged killer is an illegal immigrant.