About 700,000 adults between ages 26 and 49 will be eligible as of Jan. 1

California will welcome the new year by becoming the first state to offer health insurance for all undocumented immigrants.

Starting Jan. 1, all undocumented immigrants, regardless of age, will qualify for Medi-Cal, California’s version of the federal Medicaid program for people with low incomes.

Previously, undocumented immigrants were not qualified to receive comprehensive health insurance but were allowed to receive emergency and pregnancy-related services under Medi-Cal as long as they met eligibility requirements, including income limits and California residency in 2014.

  • Cosmonauticus
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    10 months ago
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    Other countries don’t do that. Of course other countries don’t have ridiculous costs for healthcare but when I moved to Germany I was required to get private health insurance as a legal resident. If you’re injured in practically any other country (unless you’re an asylum resident) you don’t receive government assist benefits at all for anything.

    Government benefits should be for citizens first and foremost. Everyone else shouldn’t be ignored but they should come second

    • 11181514
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      What does “come second” mean? Like they wait in a longer line? They get worse doctors?

      And just because other countries don’t help immigrants is hardly an argument that they shouldn’t be helped. WHY shouldn’t they get health care?

    • greencactus
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      10 months ago
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      Correct me if I’m wrong, but as far as you know you only need to have a health insurance. No one forces you to pick a certain one, public of private.

      • Cosmonauticus
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        10 months ago
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        No. If you become a resident when you’re over 30 you’re required to get private health insurance.

        • greencactus
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          10 months ago
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          Ah, thanks. I remember reading something that public ones won’t accept you when you’re too old.

          • Cosmonauticus
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            10 months ago
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            The funny thing is you get quicker care if you have private. A lot of Europeans don’t realize they’re closer to American style healthcare than they care to admit.

            They really take it for granted