Opinion: Health Bills Show Need for Immigration Reform

Columnist Tim Rutten asserts that California could be left worse off under provisions of the Senate's health care reform bill (HR 3590) that limit access to health plans offered through proposed insurance exchanges to U.S. citizens. Rutten cites studies estimating the size of California's immigrant population and concludes that health care reform efforts underscore the need for congressional action on immigration.

• "Immigration Reform and the Health Care Debate" (Rutten, Los Angeles Times, 1/9).