California becomes first state to offer health insurance to all undocumented immigrants
California becomes first state to offer health insurance to all undocumented immigrants
On Jan. 1, California will become the first state to offer health insurance to all undocumented adults by expanding access to the state-run insurance plan, Medi-Cal.
About 700,000 adults between ages 26 and 49 will be eligible as of Jan. 1
California will welcome the new year by becoming the first state to offer health insurance for all undocumented immigrants.
Starting Jan. 1, all undocumented immigrants, regardless of age, will qualify for Medi-Cal, California's version of the federal Medicaid program for people with low incomes.
Previously, undocumented immigrants were not qualified to receive comprehensive health insurance but were allowed to receive emergency and pregnancy-related services under Medi-Cal as long as they met eligibility requirements, including income limits and California residency in 2014.
This headline is some absolute bullshit.
California already had health insurance for undocumented immigrants, as does Massachusetts. It's just limited to emergency care and pregnancy care.
California is expanding their existing coverage to comprehensive health care including primary care, which is cheaper than letting medical conditions get so completely out of control that they require expensive and disabling emergency hospitalizations.
I'm going to say it and I consider myself very liberal. But why are we providing insurance for them when we're not even covering our own citizens?? How does this benefit the people who live in California and contribute to its GDP in a significant way? And I'm not saying undocumented immigrants don't contribute to the gdP but they are undocumented. Everything happens under the table if they are. I would much rather California work on universal healthcare system for their state that includes immigrants. And I'm definitely not saying just because they're undocumented doesn't mean they don't deserve this. But where is the benefit? These people can't vote. They're not paying taxes. Yet they're reaping rewards of other people who do. Why doesn't California put this money towards its massive homeless problem or it's massive drug problem or it's massive crime problem? I just simply do not understand why they would make something like this a priority over so many other problem ?
And before y'all eat me alive.I am genuinely asking because I don't understand why this is something they feel is important? There are so many other issues plaguing their state alone. Why do they feel this is a priority when we're not even taking care of our own citizens? Please only respond if you can genuinely give me insightful information or an education on this. Because like i said i consider myself very liberal and in other context I'd think this is great. But we are facing some many challenges just among our own documented citizens that i just feel like this is a great step but not the step we should be taking.
This is a good first step and the only real issue is that this doesn't go quite far enough.
We need Medi-Cal for all in this state.
This is going to sound insane, but I can't get rid of Medi-cal. I did need it during covid because my insurance was tied to work and I was living with some elderly folk. I kept it when I moved in with my (then) boyfriend because I was in an area where I struggled to find a job. But then we got married, and I have been on his insurance for more than a year. I've called (even spoken to a few people), and I've written letters, but they just keep renewing it. Most recently I tried calling again but I gave up after waiting for an hour.
I couldn't even use it if it wanted to because my name is different now, but the fact that I can't communicate with them to let them know that I don't need it is frustrating
And that made me wonder. I can't get through to them to tell them that I don't need it, right? How the hell does someone who DOES need it get through to get some help?
My family doesn't particularly support undocumented citizens. I'm on the fence about it. Yeah, they also pay taxes, work like normal people, and probably fled for better living conditions. I would like to hope they be more well supported given they were documented. Additionally, it isn't fair to the people who waited many years and paid lots of money to get through the process legitimately. So yeah, I would like to see immigrants formally go through the process, but if they can't wait and pay like others, then they probably have a good reason behind their choices.
What California is doing is making insurance untenable. This is more about cutting out the unnecessary middle man and providing services, at least basic ones, to everyone.
Insurance at it stands is an overall scam. To claw back some of that money for the "greater good"*...
I have no idea what the solution is, but I'm curious to see the outcome.
.. as a Californian this is bullshit. Solve mental health and homelessness crisis. This is smoke and mirrors shit. Gavin is all about image and little on substance. This coming from a person who wouldn't vote Republican either. We are literally in the darkest timeline. A turd sandwich versus a douche