California’s ‘free’ health care for illegal immigrants -- courtesy of the taxpayers

[Vambo]

Who's paying state’s ‘free’ health care for illegal immigrants

On Thursday, June 13, California lawmakers approved a $215 billion state budget, which Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to sign. Included in the budget are several health care reforms whose mammoth cost the state may soon regret.

Paramount among them is the expansion of Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program to cover low-income undocumented immigrants up to the age of 26. This move will saddle California taxpayers with billions of dollars in new spending commitments and make it harder for all state residents to secure access to timely care.

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Currently, Medi-Cal provides coverage to one-third of the state's 39 million people. Undocumented minors through age 18 are already eligible for Medi-Cal. Raising that age cap to 26 is expected to bring an additional 90,000 people into the program at an estimated cost of $98 million a year, the state says.

That's dubious. While campaigning for the state's top job, Governor Newsom said that expanding Medi-Cal in this way would add 138,000 people to the program at a cost of $260 million a year.

It's impossible to estimate exactly what this expansion will cost. That's because raising the eligibility age will encourage more undocumented young people to come to California for "free" health care, courtesy of the Golden State's taxpayers.

[MLD Woody]

Up to the age of 26

[DieHardBrownsFan]

[Vambo]

@mld-woody said:

Up to the age of 26

" Raising that age cap to 26 is expected to bring an additional 90,000 people into the program at an estimated cost of $98 million a year, the state says. "

[Axe]