Newsom expands health coverage to undocumenteds

Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on Tuesday the expansion of health care coverage to undocumented immigrants.

Newsom signed the law in Fresno at the Cinica Sierra Vista Elm Community Health Center. The law makes low-income, undocumented immigrants ages 50 and over eligible for Medical, the state’s Medicaid program.

In 2016 the state expanded Medi-cal coverage to undocumented children. The state then expanded Medi-cal coverage to undocumented young adults up to the age of 26 in 2020.

Undocumented immigrants ages 50 and over will be eligible for Medi-cal coverage beginning in May, 2022. The cost to expand Medi-cal to that population will be expensive as it will cost the state $1.3 billion a year.

But those who support expanding Medical-cal coverage to undocumented immigrants say there are just two choices — to provide the coverage or to force them to go without — and since forcing people to go without health care really isn’t an option there’s really just one choice.

The Public Policy Institute of California estimates there are 2 million undocumented immigrants living in California.

“It’s a point of pride, it’s a point of principle, and it is what marks our values here in the state of California, a universal state — the most diverse state in the world’s most diverse democracy,” Newsom said on Tuesday in signing the law expanding health coverage for undocumented immigrants.

Among those who were at the signing ceremony was Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, who also stated his support for expanding health coverage to undocumented immigrants.

The law signed by Newsom covers more undocumented immigrants than he originally proposed in May. At that time Newsom proposed to provide full Medical benefits to undocumented seniors ages 60 and over.

Democrats and Newsom agreed in June to lower the age to 50 and older.

Many advocate groups pushed for the law noting the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted immigrants.

The law, which is the health care trailer bill Assembly Bill 133, will expand Medi-cal coverage to 235,000 undocumented immigrants ages 50 and older. With the law, California becomes the first state in the nation to provide full Medi-cal coverage to undocumented immigrants ages 50 and older.

AB 133 also expands programs for youth with mental health issues and people with severe behavioral health challenges, including the homeless. It also extends Medi-cal eligibility to postpartum individuals.

The Medi-cal postpartum care period will be extended from 60 days to 12 months without requiring a mental health diagnosis and the provision includes eligible undocumented immigrants as well.

The law calls for a behavioral health system in which all Californians ages 25 and younger receive check ups for possible and existing behavioral health needs much like a physical check-up at the doctor. There will be a statewide portal to connect young people with telehealth visits.

AB 133 also implements a component of the $12 billion homelessness package, implementing a Behavioral Health Continuum program to expand treatment and housing options for all Californians, including the homeless who have the most acute behavioral health needs. There will be $2.2 billion in competitive grants for cities and counties to develop resources to help the homeless such mental health clinics where the mentally ill live. The grants will be used for the largest expansion of behavioral health housing in the state in decades.

At Tuesdays’ ceremony in which he signed AB 133 into law, Newsom also continued to encourage people to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.