California does not retreat to health care for immigrants

Sacramento – One of the many features that distinguishes California from other states is the way in which undocumented immigrants are woven in our communities.

Their economic impact is obvious, and the Golden State would find it difficult to maintain our status of financial power in competition without their work.

But most Californians know, and agree with reality, that at least some of our neighbors, our classmates, our colleagues, are without legal documents or in families of mixed statutes.

Governor Gavin Newsom took up position on Wednesday the undocumented Californians who seem to have gone largely unnoticed, but who will probably be a great fight in the congress and the courts. In its poor budget presentation filled with news, Newsom is committed to maintaining health insurance funded by the State for undocumented residents (with cuts, deep, to which I will arrive). Although some are disappointed with its declines, many of which will strike citizens and non-citizens, standing by the expansion of California to cover all low-income people is a state of values.

“We have provided more support than any state in American history, and we will continue to provide more support than any state in American history,” he said.

Govering to this promise will be difficult and probably expensive.

This decision comes as the Congress considers a budgetary bill led by Trump which would seriously penalize the States (there are 14) which continue to provide health insurance to undocumented immigrants. California, of course, has the greatest number of these people on its Medi -Cal plan and would be the most difficult if this penalty became the new law – up to 27 billion dollars over six years, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priories.

To put this in perspective, the governor is now estimating a budget deficit of nearly $ 12 billion this year. This federal drop would add at least $ 3 billion a year to our costs once it strikes.

This federal cup, said Newsom, was “not planned in this budget”, which means that we will ignore it for the moment.

Federal programs are not open to non-citizens, and no federal dollar is used to support the expansion of health care by California to undocumented persons.

But the Congress threatens a reduction of approximately 10% of reimbursements to the States who ensure undocumented persons via the expansion of Medicaid who was part of the Act respecting affordable care. This expansion allows millions of Americans to have access to health care.

These expansion funds work in a way that many do not know. For example, as Newsom pointed out, behavioral health teams aware of the homeless are funded by Medicaid dollars.

In total, around a third of Californians count on Medi-Cal, including millions of children, so this threat to reduce federal funds is not empty, especially in a lean year.

Katherine Hempstead, an adviser in the main policy of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who defends universal health care, said that the bill debated by the congress is so full of health care cuts that the fact of opposing the supply of coverage for the coverage for undocumented persons may not be a priority for most Democrats – which makes the Cup.

“I don’t know if it will be a problem of do-ou-die,” she said.

And indeed, the pressure of the Republicans to fully kill the coverage for undocumented migrants was rapid.

“Governor Newsom has only partially repealed his disastrous policy,” said representative Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) in a statement. “It must be completely reversed, where the Californians will continue to spend billions for the coverage of illegal immigrants and our state will lose an even greater amount in the federal funding of Medicaid.”

Newsom has given economic reasons to stick to the coverage of the State for all low -income residents, whatever the status. When people do not have access to routine care, they find themselves in emergency rooms and it is extremely expensive. And also, Medicaid must cover this emergency care, so taxpayers often end up spending more long -term by serving initial care.

“This is really important for people who get the coverage because they don’t really have an alternative,” said Hempstead.

But these care was much more expensive than California expected, also up to billions of dollars in unexpected costs, in part because so many people have registered.

To the great dismay of many, Newsom’s budget reflects both recent economic problems – a turnover of $ 16 billion caused by what he nicknamed the “Trump crisis” – as well as the state which considerably underestimates the cost of coverage of these undocumented people.

This shortfall can force the discounts of the coverage to which undocumented persons are eligible if the legislative assembly accompanies the plan of Newsom, even parts of it.

More specifically, it would cap the registration for undocid adults aged 19 and over in 2026, effectively closing the program to the new participants. It’s a huge injury. His plan also calls for adding a bonus of $ 100 per month, and other cuts such as end coverage of extremely popular and costly GLP-1 weight loss drugs for all participants.

“I don’t want to be in this position, but we are in this position,” said Newsom.

Amanda Mallister-Wallner, executive director of Health Access California, described these cups as “reckless and inadmissible” in a press release.

“This is a betrayal of the governor’s commitment to California immigrants and an abandonment of his heritage, which brought California closer to universal health care,” she said.

I firmly believe in universal health health care (essentially opening Medicare to everyone), so I do not disagree with the point of McAlister-Wallner. In the better days, I hope to see the reopening of registrations and the advantages restored.

But also, we are broke. It will be a year of painful choice for all those involved.

This makes the commitment of Newsom and California to maintain insurance for notable undoubtedly. The state could go back under this real federal pressure, could try to find a way to recover the advantages that we have already offered.

But there is a moral component to provide health care to our undocumented residents, which are such a precious and vital part of our state.

Although the tax realities are ugly, it should be remembered that by offering coverage, California sticks to some of its most vulnerable residents, at a time when it would be easier to cut and run.