SACRAMENTO, CA – California is set to launch a significant expansion of its health care system, extending free medical coverage to more than 700,000 undocumented immigrants. The initiative, beginning Monday, represents one of the state’s largest health care expansions in the last decade.
The program is projected to cost California approximately $3.1 billion annually. This move brings the state closer to achieving the Democratic goal of providing universal health care to its estimated 39 million residents.
In 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers reached an agreement to expand Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, to include all low-income adults, regardless of their immigration status.
California stands as the most populous state in the United States to offer such comprehensive health coverage. This follows Oregon, which started a similar program in July.