California will soon become one of the first states to provide free health care to all low-income immigrants living in the state illegally
Beginning on Monday, nearly 700,000 undocumented immigrants in California will be eligible for free health care as part of one of the state’s most comprehensive coverage expansions in ten years.
At some point, the endeavor will cost the state approximately $3.1 billion annually and bring California one step closer to the Democratic Party’s objective of offering health coverage to all of its approximately 39 million citizens.
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Immigrants
Medi-Cal
In 2022, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and legislators reached a consensus to extend Medicaid coverage, also known as Medi-Cal, to all low-income individuals in the state, irrespective of their immigration status. Though Oregon started doing so in July, California is the most populated state to promise this kind of protection. When he first suggested the modifications two years ago, Newsom referred to the expansion as “a transformative step towards strengthening the health care system for all Californians.”
Immigrants
Budget plan
At the time of the state’s greatest budget surplus in history, Newsom made the vow. However, California has a record $68 billion budget deficit as the program begins next week, prompting doubts and anxieties about the expansion’s potential effects on the state’s economy.
Immigrants
The vice chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, Republican Sen. Roger Niello, stated, “It doesn’t make sense for us to be adding to our deficit, regardless of your position on this.” Advocates for immigration and health care, who fought for the changes for more than ten years, claim the increased coverage will eventually save the state money and address a gap in health care access. Illegal residents in the state frequently postpone or avoid care because they aren’t eligible for most coverage, making it more expensive to treat them when they end up in emergency rooms.
Immigrants
Expansion
“It’s a win-win because it allows us to provide comprehensive care and we believe this will help keep our communities healthier,” said Dr. Efrain Talamantes, chief operating officer at AltaMed in Los Angeles, the largest federally qualified health center in California.
Immigrants
The update will be California’s largest health care expansion since the 2014 implementation of former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which allowed states to include adults who fall below 138% of the federal poverty level in their Medicaid programs. California’s uninsured rate dropped from about 17% to 7%. But a large chunk of the population was left out: adults living in the United States without legal permission. They are not eligible for most public benefit programs, even though many have jobs and pay taxes.
No. of persons
The state doesn’t know exactly how many people will enroll through the expansion, but state officials said more than 700,000 people will gain full health coverage, allowing them to access preventative care and other treatment. That’s larger than the entire Medicaid population of several states.
“We’ve had this asterisk based on immigration status,” said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, a consumer advocacy group. “Just from the numbers point of view, this is a big deal.” Republicans and other conservative groups worry the new expansion will further strain the overloaded health care system and increase the cost of the expansion.
Results
For starters, those who are undocumented immigrants who reside in the United States are still unable to obtain insurance through Covered California, the state-run exchange that provides substantial savings to those who fulfill specific income thresholds. The California Immigrant Policy Center is in favor of a bill that would alter that, and it is currently pending in the state legislature. It will be yet another enormous task, Dar predicted. “And we are aware that revenues are declining, but it is our responsibility to argue that these communities are the ones that most need assistance during economic downturns and other similar circumstances.”
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Disclaimer: The opinions and suggestions expressed in this article are solely those of the individual analysts. These are not the opinions of HNN. For more, please consult with your doctor
