Immigration Reform Could Cause ObamaCare Cost Surge

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Investors Business Daily:

A little noticed provision of the Obama health law is likely to become a big roadblock to immigration reform.

ObamaCare makes legal immigrants eligible for subsidized private health plans on the exchanges, regardless of how recently they arrived.

The Gang of 8 immigration plan — proposed by four Republican and four Democratic U.S. senators — is expected to double the number of legal immigrants coming into the country with permanent visas over the next decade.

That would add at least $100 billion to the cost of ObamaCare health plan subsidies, depending on how many new arrivals don't get covered through an employer.

Key to the Gang of 8 plan is the pledge that illegal immigrants will go to the "back of line" behind people who have applied for green cards to obtain permanent legal residence in the U.S. The plan says illegals will be allowed to start applying for green cards in a decade.

Meanwhile, a staggering 4.5 million people are in that line.