SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — California is expanding the state’s health insurance program for low-income residents to cover all undocumented immigrants starting next Monday.
The move, which is estimated to cost taxpayers an estimated $2.6 billion annually, is being celebrated by Robert Vivar.
The San Diego immigrant rights’ advocate is now a legal permanent resident but used to be undocumented.
"One of my big concerns was health care. You know, getting up there in age, working on construction at any moment you could fall sick, or you could get injured."
Starting January 1st, an estimated 764,000 low-income people aged 26-49 will be eligible for Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program regardless of immigration status.
"I think it's great. Everybody deserves to have medical help as a human right,” Vivar said.
The California Senate Republican Caucus criticized the move in an analysis of the governor's 2022-2023 budget posted online.
"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 caucus wrote.
Even after the changes take effect next week, many working poor individuals will still be ineligible for the program, which is income-based.
