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Newsom calls for health care for illegal immigrants and a mandate

January 8, 2019

Gov. Gavin Newsom

Shortly after being sworn in as California governor on Monday, Gavin Newsom announced sweeping healthcare proposals that include expanding Medi-Cal to cover young illegal immigrant adults and reinstating a health insurance mandate. [Cal Coast Times]

Newsom campaigned on a platform of universal healthcare and said the issue would be among his top priorities as governor. His announcement was characterized as a first step toward universal healthcare.

“Far away judges and politicians may try to turn back our progress. But we will never waiver in our pursuit of guaranteed healthcare for all Californians,” Newsom said during his inaugural address that preceded the announcement on healthcare policy.

If enacted, California would become the first state to cover illegal immigrants younger than 26 through Medi-Cal. A 2018 legislative proposal estimated the cost of doing so at $250 million a year. The cost would have to be entirely covered by California, despite the mix of federal and state funds that typically make up Medi-Cal funding.

Newsom’s proposal to create an individual mandate follows President Donald Trump eliminating the federal health insurance mandate that was part of Obamacare. The governor’s proposal calls for requiring all consumers in California to carry health insurance.

The proposal also outlines subsidy increases for middle-class families to help those who need health insurance obtain it.

Also on Monday, Newsom signed executive orders to consolidate California’s prescription drug purchases into a state-run program and to create a surgeon general position that would examine health disparities before they manifest. Additionally, Newsom sent a letter to Congress and the White House requesting legislative changes that would allow California to have the regulatory freedom to overhaul its healthcare system and move toward single payer.

Newsom’s proposed state budget, which will be released Thursday, will include some of the new healthcare proposals.


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The Obama Mandate also accepted those on health sharing plans or to join a health sharing plan if they didn’t have health insurance. Does anyone know if the California Mandate will also include health sharing plans as a qualified form of insurance?


0

Wow, guess I struck a nerve with the social security/medicare haters. There was an extremely prescient book published over 50 years ago now—The Other America, by Michael Harrington—which found that almost one-third of senior citizens in America lived under the poverty line. Within 30 years after the enactment of medicare, that number had been slashed to 10 percent. I understand the argument that you are better able to invest your own money. Believe me, I think that’s a great assumption and I railed against taxes for much of my libertarian fueled youth. I even worked for Libertarian Party candidate Gene Burns back in the early 80’s. Unfortunately, in the real world, libertarianism simply does not work. People just don’t always think ahead financially and very few companies today provide pensions for their workers. Imagine, in this day and age of spiraling medical costs, if seniors had no access to medicare. Poverty rates would soar.


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I guess all US born California residents should just have their under 26 year olds drop insurance and say they are illegal so they can get free healthcare too. I mean, US born kids english speakers could say they are from Canada or England. We don’t track illegals receiving free services, so how would they know? My point is that California is setting up a system which rewards law-breaking, so why should we only allow illegals to do it?


2

Please tax me more, I don’t contribute enough to the liberal elite.


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Yes comrades, California will give Medi Cal for everyone, whether they want it or not…

Get ready to say “bye bye” to private health insurance in California. This is only the first step in creating a single-payer system based on Medi-Cal in California.


1

Great political strategy. Create a permanent underclass in vast numbers dependent on government handouts forever so you never lose another election. Treasonous but effective.


6

Perfectly stated copperhead!


0

This is like ringing the bell for the worlds sickest and poorest…..I don’t care one way or another but the tax payers of California need to know the facts….news media… its your time to be as honest as you can…if you can…tell the people what this will cost and what the worse case scenario is….


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