FRESNO, CA (KMJ) In an unprecedented move, the Golden State has enacted a law allowing illegal immigrants to qualify for Medi-Cal.
The new guidelines, which took effect Jan. 1, makes California the only state to fund comprehensive health care for undocumented immigrants.
“This historic investment speaks to California’s commitment to health care as a human right,” Sen. María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) said in a statement.
The program expansion is expected to provide health coverage for about 700,000 undocumented residents between the ages of 26 and 49.
In 2015, the state began to allow undocumented children to receive health care through Medi-Cal and then in 2019, the eligibility guidelines were extended to include those 26 years old or younger.
In May 2022, a California law allowed undocumented adults 50 or older to receive health care through the program.
However, plans to expand the Medi-Cal program haven’t come without its criticism. Senate republicans issued the following statement: “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 latest Medi-Cal expansion is expected to cost $2.6 billion annually.
