Newsom plan: Free Health coverage for illegal immigrants in CaliforniaNewsom plan: Free Health coverage for illegal immigrants in California
aljazeera
California would be the first US state to provide health coverage to all immigrants within its borders, regardless of how they arrived in the state, under a new budget plan proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday.
Newsom’s proposal would use part of California’s booming budget surplus to provide healthcare coverage through the state’s system for any low-income resident, regardless of immigration status. California already offers healthcare coverage to immigrants up to age 26 and over 55.
California, which is equal to the world’s fifth-largest economy, plans to begin covering immigrants 50 and over in May. Now, Newsom wants state lawmakers to cover the remaining uninsured immigrants starting in 2024 at an estimated cost of $2.4bn per year, The Associated Press reported.
Newsom’s proposal to provide healthcare to immigrants is likely to garner attention as the United States struggles with an ongoing immigration crisis. Earlier this year, the state made COVID-19 vaccines available to farm workers who faced heightened rises of infection from the coronavirus. Newsom’s new plan was one of a number of policies he proposed on Monday aimed at reducing economic disparities in the state.
Overall, Newsom sent the California legislature a $286.4bn budget that builds on what analysts expect to be at least a $31bn surplus the year ahead.