Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed a law that gives medical coverage to low-income, undocumented immigrants aged 50 and older.
Newsom signed Assembly Bill 133 at a health clinic in Fresno County making California the first state in the nation to expand full-scope Medi-Cal eligibility to low-income adults 50 years of age or older, regardless of immigration status – a major milestone in the state’s progress toward universal health coverage.
The law will expand Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, to about 235,000 low-income undocumented Californians 50 and older, the governor’s office said in a press release.
AB 133 also extends the Medi-Cal postpartum care period from 60 days to 12 months without requiring a mental health diagnosis, including for eligible undocumented Californians, the governor’s office said in a press release.
Under AB 133, approximately 235,000 Californians aged 50 years and older are newly eligible for Medi-Cal, including preventive services, long-term care and In-Home Supportive Services., stated in a release.
The coverage would start in May 2022 and cost the state about $1.3 billion a year to administer.
“We’re investing California’s historic surplus to accomplish transformative changes we’ve long dreamed of – including this historic Medi-Cal expansion to ensure thousands of older undocumented Californians, many of whom have been serving on the front lines of the pandemic, can access critical health care services,” said Governor Newsom. “I thank the Legislature for its steadfast partnership to bring California closer to universal health care coverage and advance comprehensive initiatives to ensure California’s communities come back from the pandemic stronger and healthier than before.”
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
