California first to cover health care for all immigrants

By ADAM BEAM and DON THOMPSON
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is the first state to guarantee free health care for all low-income immigrants who are living in the country illegally. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $307.9 billion operating budget on Thursday. It makes all low-income adults eligible for the state’s Medicaid program regardless of their immigration status. The move will provide coverage for an additional 714,000 people. It will cost taxpayers about $2.6 billion per year once fully implemented. The Newsom administration has indicated it will take until 2024 to implement the expansion.