Undocumented Californians are our friends, neighbors, and loved ones. They help to keep our economy — the fifth largest in the nation — thriving, and contribute to our culture of diversity, opportunity, and hope. However, many undocumented Californians are facing a crisis that may prove deadly — a lack of access to healthcare because of their immigration status.
In 2015, California passed “Health4All Kids”, which expanded Medi-Cal coverage to undocumented children under the age of 19. While this has helped improve the lives of thousands of children, it left out over a million undocumented adults and seniors. Undocumented Californians are the largest single group of uninsured individuals in the state, and because of this, many of our loved ones suffer and even die from treatable illnesses due to lack of care.
The Health4All Campaign is urging the California legislature to exercise their leadership and expand the reach of “Health4All Kids” by passing a budget that includes Medi-Cal coverage for all Californians who meet the income requirement, regardless of their immigration status or age.
Governor Newsom included funding in his proposed budget for undocumented young adults ages 19-25 to be able to access Medi-Cal, but this proposal fails to provide healthcare for older adults, including our community elders who may need it the most.
Read the stories below from community members whose families have been deeply impacted because of their loved ones’ inability to access healthcare. These are the stories of individuals who would be left out of the Governor’s current proposal.
No one should have to wait for an emergency to be able to access healthcare, or lose a loved one because they did not have access to healthcare. Call today and urge the Budget Conference Committee and Governor Newsom to include #Health4All and #Health4AllElders as part of the state budget on June 15.