New bill would further expand health care coverage to immigrants without legal status

A new bill in California aims to expand health care options for people who are undocumented. That comes as the state borrows money in part to fund Medi-Cal for undocumented residents. 

People who are undocumented in California have had limited access to Medi-Cal since 2014. The state extended coverage to all undocumented residents last year. 

Assembly Bill 4 would also allow them to enroll in Covered California — the state’s health insurance marketplace that was established through the Affordable Care Act. 

“We don't get to choose when we get sick,” said Fresno Democratic Assembly member Dr. Joaquin Arambula, who authored the bill. “We should make sure that we have a health care delivery system that sees all Californians and ensures that we have equitable access to health care services.”

He said many farmworkers’ access to Medi-Cal changes throughout the year depending on the seasons and availability of work.

The bill made it out of its first committee, with 11 members in support, 2 opposed and 2 abstaining on Tuesday. Sacramento resident Beatrice Hernandez shared her experience with coverage at the hearing. 

“Thanks to the Medi-Cal expansion, I was able to stop paying out of pocket,” she said. “However, now as a working professional and a sole proprietor, I earn above the Medi-Cal threshold and I'm still locked out of Covered California because of my immigration status.”

The bill wouldn’t require the state to apply for a federal waiver for the program, which California law would normally. 

Just a couple weeks ago, the Newsom administration announced it would borrow $3.4 billion from the general fund in part because more undocumented residents signed up for Medi-Cal coverage than it anticipated.