Good news for low-income undocumented immigrants will be announced in California in early 2024.

They will have that starting this January Medicalthe “California version” of Medicaid, “the federal and state funded program that provides health insurance to low-income people,” EFE reports.

With this fact, California “makes history at the beginning of the year by becoming the first state in the United States to offer free medical care to all undocumented immigrants.”

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Coverage for Migrants in California

As of Monday, January 1, “a new state law allows undocumented foreigners between the ages of 26 and 49 who are below certain income thresholds to access the full coverage of official state aid Medi-Cal as they already were. explains EFE.

Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan is to “provide health coverage to all of its residents, some 39 million people.” The measure “represents the largest effort to provide Californians with health insurance in a decade.”

The measure is expected to “benefit more than 700,000 migrants at a cost of more than $2.6 billion per year.”

In 2022, undocumented immigrants of all ages represented 40% of the state’s approximately 3.2 million uninsured residents, the Spanish agency notes.

Expanding California benefits for immigrants

They recall that in that state, a large portion of undocumented residents were already gaining access to Medi-Cal.

In 2015, “minors without immigration status were the first to access this program.

Four years later, eligibility was expanded to people under 26. And in May 2022, the state began insuring people aged 50 and over.”

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USCIS and Medi-Cal

According to Senator María Elena Durazo, “this historic investment speaks to California’s commitment to health care as a human right.”

EFE reports that the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has warned that Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) does not consider access to Medi-Cal health services to be a “public charge.” the immigration status of the beneficiaries.

It is important to note that “the information provided by undocumented immigrants will only be used to determine their eligibility.” There is nothing to fear: “State laws protect the privacy of your information.”

With information from EFE

(JO)