We asked thousands of people whether they thought illegal immigrants should receive Medicare benefits. The results are shown below…

88% of Americans polled think that people who are in this country illegally should NOT be eligible for Medicare benefits.
12% of Americans polled are OK with illegal immigrants receiving Medicare benefits.

The votes obviously indicate that the vast majority of people feel that those who do not pay into the system should not benefit from it. Maybe they feel it’s a matter of simple ethics (“You don’t pay, you don’t play”) or maybe they fear that the millions of illegal immigrants will use up critical medical benefits that could and should be reserved for those who have paid into the system their entire lives.

U.S. citizens can get Medicare Part A (which covers major events) at no cost if they have worked in America for at least 10 years, have paid into the system and are at least 65 years old.

Currently, new immigrants to the U.S., legal or illegal, are NOT eligible for Medicare benefits. However, if an immigrant is 65 years of age or older, has been a permanent resident here for 5 years and has lived here for those 5 years, they can buy Medicare Part A coverage from the U.S. government.

What do you think about that?