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California lawmakers agree to health benefits for immigrants
The agreement means low-income adults between the ages of 19 and 25 living in California illegally would be eligible for California's Medicaid program, the joint state and federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled.
Not everyone in that age group would get the health benefits, but only those whose incomes are low enough to qualify for the program. State officials estimate that will be about 90,000 people at a cost of $98 million per year.
But to pay for part of it, the state will begin taxing people who don't have health insurance. It's a revival of the individual mandate penalty that had been law nationwide under former President Barack Obama's health care law until Republicans in Congress eliminated it as part of the 2017 overhaul to the tax code.
The budget agreement still must be approved by the full state Legislature. State law requires lawmakers to enact a budget by midnight on June 15. If they don't, lawmakers would lose their pay.
The agreement means low-income adults between the ages of 19 and 25 living in California illegally would be eligible for California's Medicaid program, the joint state and federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled.
Not everyone in that age group would get the health benefits, but only those whose incomes are low enough to qualify for the program. State officials estimate that will be about 90,000 people at a cost of $98 million per year.
But to pay for part of it, the state will begin taxing people who don't have health insurance. It's a revival of the individual mandate penalty that had been law nationwide under former President Barack Obama's health care law until Republicans in Congress eliminated it as part of the 2017 overhaul to the tax code.
The budget agreement still must be approved by the full state Legislature. State law requires lawmakers to enact a budget by midnight on June 15. If they don't, lawmakers would lose their pay.
