Dive Brief:
- California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has signed a law to expand Medi-Cal coverage to children aged 18 and younger who do not have legal residency. About $40 million will be allocated for the program.
- The original proposal sought to include coverage for adults as well and would have cost an estimated $740 million.
- Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) led the healthcare effort and said offering healthcare to immigrant children will pave the way to cover all of California's unauthorized residents. "We can demonstrate that not only is there a need but we can implement this successfully."
Dive Insight:
A Los Angeles Times/USC Dornsife poll showed Californians are divided over providing healthcare benefits to immigrants who cross the border illegally. The survey results showed 48% of voters believe immigrants should be eligible for free or low-cost health insurance, while 47% opposed offering those benefits.
In addition, according to Reuters, NYC plans to expand low-cost healthcare to uninsured immigrants regardless of their legal status under a pilot program to start next year. The program, "Direct Access," will initially apply to 1,000 immigrants and cost $6 million.