Starting next year, low-income Californians between the ages of 26 and 49 will be covered by Medi-Cal, a federal and state health care program.
The state’s Social Security Administration announced on November 15 that starting January 1, low-income Californians between the ages of 26 and 49 will be eligible for Medi-Cal to provide health care services.
This is especially good news for low-income immigrants, who have traditionally been left out of the healthcare system, as it includes undocumented immigrants.
The new rule follows the enactment of Senate Bill 184 (SB184) in 2022, which provided healthcare coverage to nearly 1.5 million undocumented immigrants. The state allocates an additional $1.3 billion annually for healthcare.
Previously available only to low-income people with legal immigration status, such as permanent residents, California’s Medi-Cal program allowed children under 16 to receive benefits regardless of immigration status in 2016. And in 2020, California increased the age of eligibility to 26 and under.
The program has also been expanding healthcare coverage for low-income people since May of last year, when it significantly lowered the senior enrollment age from 65 to 50 and above.
However, younger and older low-income residents were excluded, leaving adults aged 26-49 with little access to healthcare when they got sick.
Starting next year, they will be included, meaning that virtually all low-income residents of all ages will be covered by Medi-Cal, regardless of immigration status.
“We’re already sending out notices,” said James Bolden, public information officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services. “They don’t have to apply, they’re automatically enrolled in Medi-Cal.”
“Undocumented immigrants are not at risk of deportation if they receive Medi-Cal benefits, and it will not prevent them from getting a green card. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are also eligible and should take advantage of the program.”
As of the end of last month, there were 15.57 million Californians enrolled in Medi-Cal, according to Social Security Administration statistics. Of those, 25,980 were Korean Americans statewide, including more than 19,600 in L.A. County.
In addition to emergency care, Medi-Cal’s healthcare services include general and specialty care and prescription drug benefits. Dental care is also available. Other services include mental health care, which has become a recent issue, and family planning and maternity care. Seniors are also allowed to use nursing facilities.
According to the state, Medi-Cal has only allowed emergency care for residents who don’t qualify.
BY NICOLE CHANG, JUNHAN PARK [chang.nicole@koreadaily.com]
