# McKenna urges Attorney General Coakley to enforce the law



## Gil (Jun 15, 1998)

*JIM MCKENNA URGES ATTORNEY GENERAL *
*MARTHA COAKLEY TO ENFORCE THE LAW *​
Worcester -- According to the _Boston Herald_, Governor Deval Patrick has ignored requests to disclose how many illegal immigrants are receiving health insurance, which has been pending since early September.​
"On Sept. 10, the Herald requested a schedule of benefits for illegal immigrants enrolled in MassHealth Limited as well as coverage information for legal non-citizens. According to the nonprofit MassResources.org, non-citizens ages 18-64 who do not meet the eligibility requirements for MassHealth but qualify for the Massachusetts Refugee Resettlement Program have access for eight months to MassHealth Standard - a more comprehensive plan than some legal immigrants receive."

"A spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services failed to return calls regarding the information request for the last two weeks. The state legally has 10 days to respond, a period that lapsed on Sept. 20. After learning the Herald would report on the state's failure to respond, the administration released a general description of some benefits illegal immigrants are eligible for late yesterday afternoon."​​Laura Rigas, Communications Director for Jim McKenna said, "This is an inexcusable and blatant violation of the law. This apparent attempt to keep the public in the dark and not disclose how many illegal immigrants are receiving health insurance in Massachusetts must be taken seriously by Attorney General Martha Coakley. The fact that there has not been an immediate and forthright accounting of this information shows that this administration has something to hide and they must be held accountable. This is just another example of Martha Coakley turning a blind eye to the issue of illegal immigration. By helping to keep this information from coming to light she continues to endorse amnesty by default. As Attorney General, Jim McKenna would turnover those records, stop sanctuary cities and fight against illegal immigration."

*Source*: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/view.bg?articleid=1285874​
More...


----------

