(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) After weeks of repeating Democratic talking points that illegal aliens do not benefit from public health programs, some media outlets are now acknowledging the truth: illegal aliens can receive care through certain government-funded programs.
The debate over illegal aliens’ access to taxpayer-funded health care comes amid a standoff in Congress over government funding.
Republicans are pushing for a clean resolution to keep the government open for several weeks, while Democrats are demanding the reversal of limits on health care programs that provide benefits to illegal aliens.
ABC News offered one such concession. On Thursday, the outlet acknowledged that Emergency Medicaid does cover illegal aliens, though it downplayed the impact by claiming it only accounted for “0.4%” of total Medicaid spending in 2022.
But ABC cited a study from Emory University, the University of Colorado and Harvard that openly admitted it was incomplete. The study excluded reports from 11 states and did “not account for other public spending on undocumented immigrants.”
The Washington Post similarly skirted the issue, calling “the reality is far more complicated.”
The outlet reported that one of the Democrats’ demands to reopen the government involves reversing limits in the One Big Beautiful Bill, which — by The Post’s own admission — “curbs Medicaid reimbursements for hospitals that treat undocumented immigrants.”
In the next line, the outlet admitted that “Democrats want that eligibility and those payments restored.”
USA Today made a similar acknowledgment. The newspaper reported that while illegal aliens are generally ineligible for most government-paid health care, under the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act, “hospitals are required to stabilize anyone who shows up for emergency care – no matter their immigration status.”
Critics on X mocked the media’s admissions. Columnist Bonchie wrote, “We’re now at the ‘it’s happening, but it doesn’t matter’ stage.”
Another user echoed the mockery, adding: “1. That isn’t happening 2. It is happening, but it’s rare <– YOU ARE HERE 3. It’s happening, and it’s a good thing 4. You are required to support it happening to remain in polite society.”
We’re now at the “it’s happening, but it doesn’t matter” stage. https://t.co/ojuiJKu5Od
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) October 9, 2025
