California — Free Healthcare for the Undocumented

California is now the first state in the union to offer health insurance to everyone — including those living in the state illegally.

The new law became active on January 1st and anyone — whether they’re in the country legally or illegally — can get health insurance on MediCal. For those that aren’t familiar, that’s the state’s version of Medicaid.

In the past the undocumented could not qualify for regular health insurance but could be treated for emergencies and pregnancy-related services.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that means 700,000 people between age 26 and 49 can now purchase full coverage insurance in California.

“In California, we believe everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care coverage – regardless of income or immigration status,” the governor’s office said. “Through this expansion, we’re making sure families and communities across California are healthier, stronger, and able to get the care they need when they need it.”

As expected, California’s Republican Caucus isn’t happy with the legislation legalizing health insurance for all.

"Medi-Cal is already strained by serving 14.6 million Californians — more than a third of the state's population. Adding 764,000 more individuals to the system will certainly exacerbate current provider access problems," the caucus said.

Source link: MSN — https://bit.ly/3vwir84