California passes bill that will expand Medicaid coverage to illegal immigrants

The California General Assembly passed a bill known as AB 2965 that will remove the legal residency requirement for the state's Medicaid program and allow illegal immigrants access to full-cost health care coverage. The assembly, which is largely Democratic, voted 33-21 on Wednesday.

Allowing illegal immigrants full-cost coverage will cost the already economically depressed state a whopping $3 billion for the 2018-19 year, according to the state's Legislative Analyst's Office. According to ModernHealthCare.com, the state "has already nixed the requirement for individuals younger than 19."

The state Senate, who is also largely Democratic, is expected to pass the proposed bill next week. Currently, illegal immigrants seek health care at community clinics and emergency rooms but have limited access to primary care physicians.

Some worry, however, that illegal immigrants from other states will move to California to take advantage of the new health policy. According to ModernHealthCare, "Joel Hay, a health policy and economics professor at the University of Southern California, said he hasn't seen evidence that access to care for undocumented individuals is lacking in California and questioned whether the law was necessary."

See Pat's reaction to the bill above. 

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