California budget will expand Medi-Cal for undocumented residents

A portion of California’s budget will go toward funding a health insurance expansion for hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants in the state.Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a budget deal Sunday that includes funding to expand Medi-Cal – California’s state-subsidized health insurance – for low-income, undocumented residents ages 26 to 49. It is expected to impact roughly 700,000 people across the state. The program is expected to start by Jan. 1, 2024.In 2020, Medi-Cal was extended to not only cover undocumented children, but also young adults in California through age 25. Medi-Cal was extended for undocumented California residents ages 50 and older in May. That means once this latest expansion starts, California will become the first state in the country to remove immigration status as a barrier to health care.KCRA 3 spoke with Beatriz Hernandez, an undocumented immigrant in California, who moved to the United States from Mexico at the age of 12. She turned 26 earlier this year, before this week’s announcement of Medi-Cal’s expansion for all adults, and she found herself asking one question constantly.“What is going to happen once I no longer have insurance?” Hernandez recounted.When Hernandez turned 19, she was not covered under Medi-Cal anymore, because at that time, it was only for children up through age 18. This was during Hernandez’s college years, and she said it was a burden since her school required her to have some kind of health insurance, which she had to pay out of pocket.”A scholarship that I had planned to use for other things — for my rent, for my groceries, or whatever I needed at that time — I then now had to place it on my health insurance, which I felt was unfair,” Hernandez said.But now, thanks to funding that begins in California’s 2022-2023 budget, Hernandez will benefit from the newest Medi-Cal expansion.”I’m really happy because I know that I’m going to be covered,” Hernandez said. “I’m really happy and excited, not only for myself but because this win is also huge for my family who are also undocumented.”Jose Torres, a legislative and policy advocate for Health Access California, said the removal of immigration status as a barrier to health insurance is a big step for the state.”This has been a long time coming,” Torres said.Torres said many people who are undocumented and uninsured often use home remedies and wait to seek medical care unless it is an emergency. That is because they had what is referred to as “restricted-scope Medi-Cal.” But with full-scope Medi-Cal, Torres said those patients no longer have to be selective about their doctor and hospital visits.”By removing immigration status, people are able to see a doctor on a regular basis; they’re able to get checkups and have their annual checkups; they’re able to see a dentist; they’re able to have their vision taken care of as well,” Torres said.Sarah Dar, director of Public Health and Benefits Policy for the California Immigrant Policy Center, told KCRA 3 that the key now is to make sure all low-income, undocumented adults get their insurance cards and pick their providers when the program begins.”We’d love to…

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