California may become the first state in the country to provide health coverage to all of its residents, regardless of immigration status, if the budget plan presented Monday by Governor Gavin Newsom is approved.
Some of them are already covered by the state Medicaid program, MediCal, which offers access to health to people with the least resources: those who live in California and are under 26 and over 55. But now Newsom's goal is that
all residents of the state who are undocumented and eligible according to their wages, including those between 26 and 49 years of age,
be covered as of January 1, 2024.
Newsom revealed his 2022-2023 budget proposal Monday at a press conference in Sacramento.Rich Pedroncelli / AP
The initiative is the result of years of activism under the slogan
# Health4All
.
Senator María Elena Durazo, one of its promoters, celebrated the achievement and made it clear that her wish is for it to now be discussed by the state legislature.
The AP agency noted that it is not yet clear how the additional cost in health coverage would be assumed, or how exactly it plans to pay for that additional cost.
A legislative analysis estimates that the annual coverage of the undocumented between the ages of 26 and 55 would be about $ 2.4 billion annually.
Access to healthcare for the undocumented over 50 already costs state taxpayers about $ 1.3 billion a year.
[Millions enrolled in Medicaid could lose their eligibility next month]
"Existential threats"
The measure included in the budget plan of $ 286.4 billion, as explained by AP, is part of
its response to five of the greatest challenges of the most populous state in the country.
The amount is based on a projected surplus of at least $ 31 billion.
What his Administration calls "existential threats" include the lack of medical coverage for some immigrants residing in the state, the pandemic, forest fires, drought, the housing crisis and homelessness, income inequality and the growing wave of massive robberies.
They redouble surveillance in commercial areas due to the increase in massive and coordinated robberies
Nov. 28, 202101: 26
In addition, his plan allocates $ 2 billion to mental health services, housing and cleaning camps for the homeless, $ 300 million to combat thefts in businesses and another $ 2.7 billion for tests of the coronavirus and the staffing in hospitals.
In health matters, the expansion of abortion access services in the state would also be considered.
Newsom has publicly stated his desire to make California clinics and health centers a safe place for those who wish to terminate their pregnancy.
Also on the environmental front, he pledged to continue reducing California's dependence on fossil fuels.