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California becomes first state to offer health insurance to all undocumented immigrants (abcnews.go.com)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/news@lemmy.world
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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.

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[–] 21 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I've got a wacky idea. What if we treated people as people and didn't discriminate based on where they happened to be born? Especially in this case where we're talking about people who live in the state, report their income, and pay taxes contributing to everyone's state funded healthcare.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    I guess the essence of the problem is should people who sneak into the country (including using anchor babies) be treated as good or better than those who were born here or came here legitimately?

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago (2 children)

    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

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago

    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?

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    No. If you become a resident when you're over 30 you're required to get private health insurance.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago (1 child)

    Ah, thanks. I remember reading something that public ones won't accept you when you're too old.

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