NationStates

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California has become the first state to offer taxpayer-funded health benefits to young adults living in the country illegally.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law Tuesday that makes low-income adults 25 and younger eligible for the state's Medicaid program regardless of their immigration status. State officials expect the plan to cover about 90,000 people and cost taxpayers $98 million. California already covers children 18 and younger regardless of immigration status.

The law will not give health insurance benefits to everyone 25 and younger, but only those whose income is low enough to qualify.

Newsom and Democratic legislative leaders say they plan to further expand coverage to more adults in the years to come. Republican President Donald Trump has called the move "crazy." Advocates of the measure say it's a way to improve the health of immigrants in the state by providing them with access to the medical care they need.

Many immigrants who are in the country illegally are already enrolled for some government-funded programs, but they only cover emergencies and pregnancies.

Democrats had pushed to expand the coverage to even more adults, but Newsom rejected the proposals, saying it would cost about $3.4 billion to provide coverage to all California adults living in the country illegally. But he has vowed to keep expanding coverage in future years.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ca ... y-n1028086

Basically in summary California is offering healthcare benefits to illegal immigrants 25 or younger whose income is low.

In my opinion I think California is taking a step in the right direction to help improve young immigrant's lives when they enter the United States and get the care they need to support themselves and their families until they can get legal status and not have worry about their financial problems.

What do you say NSG? Did California make the right choice on giving illegal immigrants healthcare benefits or no?

Good. Whatever you may think of undocumented immigration in and of itself, while these young people are in your territory they should not be deprived of their human rights, including the right to health care.

Liriena wrote:Good. Whatever you may think of undocumented immigration in and of itself, while these young people are in your territory they should not be deprived of their human rights, including the right to health care.

Agreed

Universal healthcare would be better, but this is fine.

I think it's good. The migrants shouldn't be denied healthcare.

But letting people have healthcare is communism!

Ifreann wrote:But letting people have healthcare is communism!

Were they prohibited from having healthcare before?

I wonder how the income of undocumented (illegal?) immigrants would be determined in order to become eligible to this program, given that they aren't (?) registred in the first place.

The New California Republic wrote:Universal healthcare would be better, but this is fine.

Yes

No problem with illegals getting healthcare if its necessary my worry is that it will encourage more people to

A: Take the dangerous overland route to the States

B: Illegally stay in the country

C: Put more strain on the US' already crumbling social services.

Well the GOP is gonna be thankful for that.

Telconi wrote:

Ifreann wrote:But letting people have healthcare is communism!

Were they prohibited from having healthcare before?

Yes. By the righteous powers of capitalism.

Washington Resistance Army wrote:Well the GOP is gonna be thankful for that.

Yeah, it's gonna be fun seeing the Republicans in the Bible belt milk some outrage points from California politics during the 2020 campaign. The Facebook boomer memery is gonna be so cringe.

Liriena wrote:

Washington Resistance Army wrote:Well the GOP is gonna be thankful for that.

Yeah, it's gonna be fun seeing the Republicans in the Bible belt milk some outrage points from California politics during the 2020 campaign. The Facebook boomer memery is gonna be so cringe.

Bro! You just offered healthcare! You are going to loose voter!

Liriena wrote:

Washington Resistance Army wrote:Well the GOP is gonna be thankful for that.

Yeah, it's gonna be fun seeing the Republicans in the Bible belt milk some outrage points from California politics during the 2020 campaign. The Facebook boomer memery is gonna be so cringe.

It wont do much since California is a blue-in-blue state anyways and has an extremly (justifed? unjustified?) bad rep among more rightish circles. So it wont do much but reinforce those sentiments.

Liriena wrote:Good. Whatever you may think of undocumented immigration in and of itself, while these young people are in your territory they should not be deprived of their human rights, including the right to health care.

They don't have a human right to health care.

Liriena wrote:

Washington Resistance Army wrote:Well the GOP is gonna be thankful for that.

Yeah, it's gonna be fun seeing the Republicans in the Bible belt milk some outrage points from California politics during the 2020 campaign. The Facebook boomer memery is gonna be so cringe.

Tbh it's probably gonna work amongst at least some people. I don't have any stats to back it up but pretty much everyone I've talked to except the most extreme of progressives have agreed that the whole "we should give illegals healthcare" line in the debate was a really bad move, and the Dems putting into action is just more fodder for the GOP to use in swing states.

The Emerald Legion wrote:

Liriena wrote:Good. Whatever you may think of undocumented immigration in and of itself, while these young people are in your territory they should not be deprived of their human rights, including the right to health care.

They don't have a human right to health care.

I happen to disagree.

And it's also very sensible public health policy. More people with access to health care means fewer people who could be unwittingly spreading undiagnosed, contagious diseases, for one.

Liriena wrote:

The Emerald Legion wrote:
They don't have a human right to health care.

I happen to disagree.

And it's also very sensible public health policy. More people with access to health care means fewer people who could be unwittingly spreading undiagnosed, contagious diseases, for one.

Also more people available to work and be economically productive. Immigrants are a huge boon for California's economy, so this makes a good deal of economic sense too.

Hopefully the feds will subpoena the records and deport the illegal aliens.

Ethel mermania wrote:Hopefully the feds will subpoena the records and deport the illegal aliens.

That would be the result of what i pointed out:

Nakena wrote:I wonder how the income of undocumented (illegal?) immigrants would be determined in order to become eligible to this program, given that they aren't (?) registred in the first place.

They would be required to register themself or provide some documentation regarding their income or employers, flats etc. Stuff that officialy shouldn exist.

Edit: Upon second reading I've realized that immigrants aren't the main or only target group that should get coverage. Which may explain this.

Liriena wrote:

The Emerald Legion wrote:
They don't have a human right to health care.

I happen to disagree.

And it's also very sensible public health policy. More people with access to health care means fewer people who could be unwittingly spreading undiagnosed, contagious diseases, for one.

I mean, the same could be said if there weren't an underclass of non-citizens hanging around at all.

In addition, there would be less drive to stop proper immigration if the Welfare system was eliminated.

The Emerald Legion wrote:

Liriena wrote:I happen to disagree.

And it's also very sensible public health policy. More people with access to health care means fewer people who could be unwittingly spreading undiagnosed, contagious diseases, for one.

I mean, the same could be said if there weren't an underclass of non-citizens hanging around at all.

There's a bit of a difference between a humane and applicable policy of, y'know, not being a dick to people already living among you and contributing to your society... and not-so-subtly fantasizing about ethnic cleansing because they're an "underclass of non-citizens".

The Emerald Legion wrote:In addition, there would be less drive to stop proper immigration if the Welfare system was eliminated.

"Starving all poor people to own the aliens" is a nuclear hot take, I'll give you that.

They're undocumented immigrants, but that doesn't mean they aren't human, I applaud California for this................ "Illegal" Immigration shouldn't be a crime

Azlaake wrote:They're undocumented immigrants, but that doesn't mean they aren't human, I applaud California for this................ "Illegal" Immigration shouldn't be a crime

So you want to come anyone into the United States as they please?

You guys need universal healthcare.