Nevada, Mexico May Partner to Cover Mexican Immigrant Health Care Costs in the State

Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) and Mexican officials on Monday discussed creating a kind of health insurance program in Nevada that would allow Mexican immigrants to receive health care in the state that is paid for by the Mexican government, the Reno Gazette-Journal reports. Mexican officials, including Mexican Secretary of Health Jose Calderon, and Gibbons met in Mexico City to discuss border security, health care and education (Mullen, Reno Gazette-Journal, 8/14).

Gibbons said he has asked the Mexican Consulate to research a pilot program being tested in New York, called Windows of Health, under which the Mexican government pays for health care of legal and undocumented Mexican immigrants (Kiernan, AP/Carlsbad Current Argus, 8/14). The program would allow Mexican citizens living and working in Nevada to apply to the Mexican Consulate for the benefits, which would be paid to local health care providers. Mexican citizens are eligible for no-cost or subsidized health care in Mexico (Reno Gazette-Journal, 8/14).

Gibbons said immigrants already receive health care in the state and the "cost that is normally born by taxpayers in Nevada for the health care costs would be shared by the Mexican government for these individuals," adding, "That's a win for Nevada. It's a win for the people who are going without health care because they don't have insurance." Gibbons said he does not know how many people might benefit from the program or when such a program would be implemented (AP/Carlsbad Current Argus, 8/14).

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