California has recently become the first state in the country to offer health insurance to all undocumented immigrants. Starting this year, 750,000 adults aged between 26 and 49 will become eligible for Medi-Cal benefits, the health plan offered by the state.
It is estimated that the expansion of the benefit will cost $2.6 billion annually to the public coffers.
Who is eligible for Medi-Cal?
To qualify for Medi-Cal benefits, you must:
• Live in California
• Meet income requirements (proof of income, which can be a W-2, some type of pay stub, or a letter from the employer, will be required)
Other states
New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington already cover undocumented immigrants in specific categories, but some lawmakers are pushing for coverage to be expanded.
New York legislators, for example, came close to passing a plan similar to California’s in June but ended the fiscal year of the legislature without approving it.
Last June, the United States was one of the few developed countries to sign the Rabat Declaration, sponsored by the United Nations, which states that all immigrants should have access to a country’s national health insurance programs.
Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and other European countries that receive a large number of immigrants did not sign the Declaration.
Source: The New York Post