California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Proposal to Roll Back Health Care for Immigrants Without Legal Status
In a surprising turn of events, California Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed a rollback of health care benefits for immigrants without legal status in the state. This decision comes as a result of a $12 billion state budget deficit, potential federal spending cuts, and a higher-than-expected enrollment in the state’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal.
Governor Newsom, who had previously championed universal health care and deemed health coverage for immigrants without legal status as a moral imperative, now finds himself in a position where he believes cost-cutting measures are necessary to sustain essential services for all Californians. The Medi-Cal program currently covers around 15 million residents in the state.
California is one of only seven states that offer health coverage to low-income adults regardless of their immigration status, a move that has drawn criticism from national Republicans. The latest U.S. House proposal aims to cut Medicaid funding for states that provide coverage to immigrants without legal status, a move that Newsom has deemed legally questionable.
The proposed changes put forth by Governor Newsom include a freeze in Medi-Cal enrollment for immigrants aged 19 and older without legal status, starting January 1. Additionally, starting in 2027, immigrants in the country illegally and those with legal residency for less than five years would be required to pay $100 monthly premiums to maintain their coverage. These measures are estimated to save the state $5.4 billion by the 2028-29 fiscal year.
However, critics of the proposal argue that the $100 monthly premium would be unaffordable for many current beneficiaries, as federal law prohibits charging premiums to the poorest Medicaid enrollees. The changes would also eliminate dental and long-term care benefits for those without legal status and legal residents who arrived in the U.S. less than five years ago.
While Governor Newsom has emphasized the need for these changes to address the growing costs of the Medi-Cal program, consumer advocates and lawmakers have expressed concerns about the impact on immigrants’ access to care. They argue that pushing immigrants into costly emergency room care could have detrimental effects on both the individuals and the state’s health care system.
Overall, the proposed changes to the Medi-Cal program have sparked a contentious debate in California, with some calling it a necessary adjustment to address budget challenges, while others see it as a betrayal of the state’s commitment to universal health care. As the budget process unfolds, it remains to be seen how these proposed changes will impact the health care landscape in California.
