Misperceptions abound about the economic value of allowing immigrants to enter, or to stay in, the United States. It is estimated that immigrants add about $10 billion to the economy annually, and that, in their lifetime in the United States, an immigrant family will pay $80,000 more in taxes than they consume in services (Mohanty et al, 2005). The dilemma for communities, however, is that the taxes are typically paid to the federal government, whereas the services the immigrants use are paid for by the states and localities. Although federal matching funds for Medicaid are not available to the states for immigrants, some states have found compelling public health reasons to use their own funds to cover even undocumented immigrant children, pregnant women with low incomes, disabled persons, and older adults (Okie, 2007).