California to become first state offering health care to all undocumented residents

The receipt of public benefits long has been controversial in the United States.  In 1994, for example, California voters after a volatile initiative campaign passed Proposition 187, which sought to strip undocumented immigrants of almost public benefits (including a education education).  More recently, the Trump administration’s proposed public charge rule sought to exclude potential benefit recipients from entering the country.

The state of California has taken a big step toward including undocuemnted immigrants in teh public health social safety net:. 

“California will become the first state to remove immigration status as a barrier to health care, making all low-income undocumented residents eligible for state-subsidized insurance regardless of age. Gov. Gavin Newsom late Sunday announced a budget deal he struck with the Legislature included a new Medi-Cal expansion that would cover more undocumented adults. The program’s launch, starting no later than Jan. 1, 2024, is expected to provide full coverage for approximately 700,000 undocumented residents ages 26-49 and lead to the largest drop in the rate of uninsured Californians in a decade.”

Click here for further details on the latest California budget.

KJ