California lawmakers agree to health care for adults in U.S. illegally

[inanna]

Source: NBC News/Associated Press

June 10, 2019, 1:55 AM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Some low-income adults in California living in the country illegally will soon get their health benefits paid for by taxpayers.

Democrats in the state Legislature on Sunday agreed to make adults between the ages of 19 and 25 eligible for the state's Medicaid program. Not everyone will get those benefits, only people whose incomes are low enough to qualify for the program. State officials estimate the program will cover an additional 90,000 people at a cost of $98 million.

"California believes that health is a fundamental right," said state Sen. Holly Mitchell, a Los Angeles Democrat who led the budget negotiations.

The move continues to stake California's position as a bulwark against the policies of Republican President Donald Trump. While the Trump administration has worked to weaken the health care law signed by former President Barack Obama, the budget agreement approved Sunday and expected to pass the state Legislature later this week would strengthen California's commitment to the law known as the Affordable Care Act.

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Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/immigration-border-crisis/california-lawmakers-agree-health-care-adults-u-s-illegally-n1015636

[beachbum bob]

1. I don't really believe in rewarding people who are here illegally, it truly punishes those who

followed the law

[Honeycombe8]

2. It also punishes those who are citizens and played by the rules...

and those who went to CA legally. This is unfair, because those who played by the rules have to pay for it. I hope they did a poll and found that the majority of Democratic Party Californians approve. Because if not, those who don't may show their disapproval in the voting booth.

If they are in a life threatening situation, though, anyone can go to an ER and get treatment. Hospitals have to treat patients like that, to the point where they are out of danger. I think that's nationwide, but maybe that depends on state laws.

[TexasBushwhacker]

6. My guess is that CA crunched the numbers

and found it was cheaper to cover them under Medicaid than for them to go to the ER for primary care, which is very expensive.

If the US is serious about cutting down on illegal immigration, they are going to have to come down HARD on the employers who hire undocumented workers. But then, who's going to pick our crops? OVER HALF of agricultural workers are undocumented.

[Honeycombe8]

7. You can only get free care at ER if your life is in danger.

You can't go for ordinary things, like sinus infection. UNLESS the state lets them get care under some Medicaid or other low-income program. Which is what this legislation is seeking to allow. That's very expensive.

A person can come in illegally, go to CA, and before contributing any money in taxes, get free health care, it sounds like. That system can't hold up over time, I would think, because of the expense.

I looked into moving to Canada at one point, but found out that unless I had a marketable skill or a guaranteed job, or had a ton of money in the bank, I couldn't more there. Canada is particularly persnickety about its health care vis a vis legal immigrants, because they didn't pay into for years like the citizens. I don't know if you have to self-fund your own health care, or they let you use it, if you're wealthy. Whatever it was, I didn't qualify.

[Jedi Guy]

10. I can't speak to other provinces, but Ontario Health Insurance Plan has a waiting period.

I can't recall right offhand how long it was, but I want to say at least three months. I got here in June 2013 and I know I had coverage by the time my birthday rolled around in October, so three months sounds about right.

It made sense to me that they'd want me to get a job and start paying into the system before I started using it, so I was fine with it.

[Honeycombe8]

11. I'm retired now, but when I checked...

my vocation wouldn't have easily transferred to Canada. So if you didn't have a marketable skill or a job waiting, you had to be wealthy to move there.

[Jedi Guy]

12. Nope, even better than being wealthy. I married a Canadian. :)

In an ironic twist on what happened to you, my wife's profession (she's a chef) wasn't on the "list" or whatever that the State Department set up. So instead of bringing her south, we brought me north. Going from Arizona to Ontario was a switch, but people do nutty things when they're in love.

Given how things turned out a few years later, I'm glad I left the States. Let me tell you, though, the day after the 2016 election was super awkward when I got to the office. I must've heard a hundred variations on "how could this happen?" before lunchtime. The only Trumpanzee that I know of in our office is a guy from Africa. Figure that one out.

[Luciferous]

13. Agreed!

[oldsoftie]

3. And this will further encourage MORE to come without following the laws.

What about all the immigrants who followed the rules and did it right? Wonder how they feel.

[MurrayDelph]

4. To those who want citizenship requirements for healthcare

Hope you like getting your lettuce with an extra dollop of tuberculosis.

[BuddhaGirl]

5. +1

Truly, smh at some of the responses

[stopwastingmymoney]

14. Agreed

I live in California and I’m fine with this

[IcyPeas]

8. "California believes that health is a fundamental right,"

really? a fundamental right that can bankrupt some people.....

I don't know about this.

[debsy]

9. I'm fine with this as long as...

...they provide the same healthcare to ALL LEGAL CITIZENS.

I am all about single-payer, public option, Medicare for all, or whatever they want to call it. Why do those of us who happen to have a job have to settle for crappy high-deductible, low quality insurance plans? I don't even mind paying my taxes and having undocumented people be covered as well. I do believe that healthcare should be a right, not a "privilege" but I'm tired of paying for everyone except the middle class to get government giveaways.

[ansible]

15. California already has Medi-CAL for legal CA residents

[912gdm]

16. with all the reemerging diseases that this country thought was cured?

I am totally fine with this.