As the son of immigrant parents and a physician who has been practicing for over 20 years, patients often ask me if applying for Medi-Cal health insurance will affect their ability to remain in this country .
In the immigrant community, many people believe they only have one of two options. One option is to enroll in Medi-Cal and expose her status to the government, risking deportation or negatively impacting her path to becoming a U.S. citizen. Alternatively, pay out of pocket without health insurance, or don’t seek medical care at all. As Chief Health Equity Officer for LA Care Health Plan, which serves vulnerable and low-income residents of Los Angeles County, I hear questions like:
- “If I enroll in Medi-Cal or receive public benefits, will I be deported or unable to obtain a green card?”
- “Yes, I registered, but what does this mean? Will someone from Homeland Security or ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) arrest me and deport me?”
- “What if I or my family are targeted for signing up for a service?”
In reality, these concerns are unfounded. Signing up for Medi-Cal does not affect your ability to obtain naturalization, and that information is not shared with ICE. Additionally, until now, most undocumented adults in California were not eligible for Medi-Cal.
hard work begins
That’s why we’re so pleased that California has expanded Medi-Cal to all low-income Californians, including illegal aliens, starting January 1, 2024. After expanding Medi-Cal to eligible children and seniors regardless of citizenship or immigration status, this expansion from ages 26 to 49 brings us closer than ever to universal coverage. can.
While some may argue that the hard part was getting approval for the expansion, I would argue that the real work now begins is encouraging undocumented Californians to enroll in Medi-Cal. sea bream. We need to get people registered and address their immigration concerns at the same time.
alexander lee
Dr. Alexander (Alex) Lee is the Chief Health Equity Officer at LA Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest public health plan.
jessica brandi reland
Jessica Brandi Refland is a freelance photographer, journalism instructor at City College of San Francisco, and a mother. She has traveled all over the world, including West Africa, the Middle East, Kosovo, Burma, Haiti, and South America, working with publications and nonprofit organizations such as Operation Her Smile, Tostan, and the California Healthcare Foundation.read more
