Nothing Says ‘Happy New Year’ Quite Like Giving Taxpayer-Funded Health Care to Illegal Aliens

Nothing Says ‘Happy New Year’ Quite Like Giving Taxpayer-Funded Health Care to Illegal Aliens

By Beth Baumann For TOWNHALL

Now that it is officially 2020, illegal alien adults in California are now eligible for Medi-Cal, the state’s health care system for low-income families. Starting January 1 – today – Medi-Cal is now extended to illegal aliens ages 19 to 26. Before today those under the age of 19 were able to receive Medi-Cal benefits, the Modesto Bee reported.

Before the new legislation took effect, quite a few illegal aliens were receiving limited Medi-Cal benefits (basically emergency services). Now they are able to receive full-scope Medi-Cal benefits, which include preventative and primary care on top of emergency services.

Those who were in the system receiving limited scope benefits received letters saying that, at the start of the new year, they would have full access to Medi-Cal benefits. Lucky them, right?

Officials in the state estimate that roughly 138,000 illegal alien adults will receive full-scope benefits under the medical plan. What that actually translates to can vary once coverage begins.

Before the Medi-Cal expansion kicked in, once an illegal alien turned 19, they would lose their benefits. Now that is extended until they are 26.

Legislators in California allocated $98 million to provide health care to illegal aliens. But that budget is only for the fiscal year 2020. It will be interesting to see how much money the Golden State spends on this.

According to a 2019 health policy brief from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, 2.2 million people in the state are illegal aliens. And guess what? Those between 19 and 26 – the very age demographic these benefits are geared towards – makeup seven percent of the low-income, illegal alien population. Those between the ages of 0 and 18 make up 12 percent of the population. That means that California is going to spend millions providing health care for 19 percent of the low-income, illegal alien population.

The largest demographic of the state’s illegal aliens – 56 percent – are those aged 26 to through 55. And you know it is only a matter of time before liberals in the state decide those folks need taxpayer-funded health care too.

Congratulations, California. You are the first state in the nation to extend even greater health care benefits to illegal aliens (as if they should be given any to begin with). And just more proof that your legislators are willing to put illegal aliens before actual Americans.

It really is sad to think about it. I have friends and family members who still live in California and they suffer under the state’s ridiculous laws. They are expected to pay a crap ton of taxes, pay for their own health insurance and for what? To be told that someone who should not even be in America can get “free” health care (translation: they can essentially take money from an American citizen to use for their own health care). And people like Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) cannot possibly understand why people flock to our southern border en masse. It is because they know they can get benefits like this.