Emergency Medicaid for Illegals Counts for Less Than 1 Percent of Spending – Twitchy

Though Democrat House Leader Hakeem Jeffries denies that one single penny of Medicaid goes to illegal aliens, the government remains closed for a ninth day because Democrat senators want free healthcare for illegals in the continuing resolution. As we reported the other day, the White House upped its meme game with SpongeBob SquarePants in a sombrero:

Democrats’ to-do list this week: pic.twitter.com/RivkiCVVdI

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 7, 2025

Last week, Stephanie Ruhle went on an ALL-CAPS RANT because “EMERGENCY MEDICAID REIMBURSES HOSPITALS FOR CARE TO UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS BECAUSE BY LAW HOSPITALS CANNOT TURN AWAY ANYONE IN AN EMERGENCY.” Plenty thanked her for pointing out that yes, Medicaid goes to fund health care for illegal aliens, with others pointing out that this is why so many illegal aliens use the emergency room instead of a private physician: free health care.

ABC News decided to wade into the fray by reporting on a study that found that less than 1 percent of state spending goes to provide emergency Medicaid for illegals.

Emergency Medicaid for undocumented immigrants made up only 0.4% of total Medicaid spending in 2022, a new study finds. https://t.co/OEPYxZI5dg

— ABC News (@ABC) October 9, 2025

Oh, so it is happening, just not that much.

So, by your own reporting, Democrats have been lying this whole time?

What a shocker.

— AmErican (@Flipper628) October 9, 2025

We’re now at the “it’s happening, but it doesn’t matter” stage. https://t.co/ojuiJKu5Od

— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) October 9, 2025

ABC News reports:

Emergency Medicaid for undocumented immigrants made up only 0.4% of total Medicaid spending in 2022, a new study finds.

…

Of the 38 states that had data and Washington, D.C., the team found that emergency Medicaid spending for undocumented immigrants amounted to about $9.63 for every resident in those states, according to the research letter published Thursday morning in JAMA.

Supporters of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation law say the cuts to Medicaid will only affect care for groups whom they believe should not be receiving it to begin with, such as undocumented immigrants.

However, undocumented immigrants are unable to receive comprehensive Medicaid, Medicare and Marketplaces options under the Affordable Care Act under federal law, the researchers note.

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Reporters Liz Neporent and Mary Kekatos seem to have buried the lede, however:

They buried this at the very bottom… https://t.co/RksG2zODbN pic.twitter.com/1VqgDDLfpA

— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) October 9, 2025

In case that gets cut off, the very last paragraph of the story reads:

The authors added that the study has limitations including that 11 states did not report emergency Medicaid spending and that the analysis did not account for other public spending on undocumented immigrants.

Oh.

Which 11 states also very much matters.

— Just Me (@Jb_leaker) October 9, 2025

I’ll be the 11 states are blue as fuck.

— Jim Kozlinksi (@Jim_Kozlinski) October 9, 2025

California and New York are among them, perhaps?

The same 11 states that quit reporting crime so they can say “Look, no crime”!

— PoleStarRider (@juancarlolupat1) October 9, 2025

And those states include some of the largest.

— DiCaucaso (@Davidchorts) October 9, 2025

Oh, so it is happening, just not that much.

So, by your own reporting, Democrats have been lying this whole time?

What a shocker.

— AmErican (@Flipper628) October 9, 2025

Ding ding! pic.twitter.com/83XsclNYTH

— Jessica NolaNova (@jessicanolanova) October 9, 2025

wait. I thought the dems have been saying NO money goes to illegals? I thought that was “already illegal” ? How can this be?

— Kristi Leigh (@KristiLeighTV) October 9, 2025

Wait, I thought absolutely NO money went to pay for healthcare for illegal aliens.

Thank you for confirming what President Trump and conservatives have said was true all along.

— Heartland Grump (@heartland_grump) October 9, 2025

what is the dollar amount?

— Rodney Adair (@AdairRodne15577) October 9, 2025

How much money does that 0.4% equate to?

— Mike (@mentallyidaho) October 9, 2025

It’s less than 1 percent! It’s practically nothing.

The 0.4% is over 3.2 billion dollars.
My private insurance is $523 a month, $6,276 a year.
According to my math, 510,000 people like me would have their premium paid with the 3.2 BILLION used in illegals.

— Yoryi.RD (@yoryiRD19) October 9, 2025

Translation: Illegals taking 0.4 percent of an $805,700,000,000 budget is $3,222,800,000 that could have helped American citizens.

— J Michael Waller (@JMichaelWaller) October 9, 2025

“Republicans are right, Democrats lied. Illegals ARE getting Medicaid”

There I fixed the headline for you

— Dug (@duginabox) October 9, 2025

Now give us the number for non-emergency Medicaid spending for illegals using the ER as their primary physician.

— Steve M (@Steven_Moyer) October 9, 2025

This isn’t a legitimate study, it claims to be nationwide but only uses self reported data from 38 states. This is a “study” designed to minimize the impact of illegals on the medical system. I’m not surprised ABC would post this bat guano, but now JAMA burned themselves as well.

— Guardian USAF (@GuardianUSAF) October 9, 2025

Cool. Then it won’t be an issue cutting it.

— J (@Jack65670006) October 9, 2025

We’re at the “it’s happening, but it’s not a big deal” stage.

***

Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is here. Rather than put the American people first, Chuck Schumer and the radical Democrats forced a government shutdown for healthcare for illegals. They own this.

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