California's MediCal Expansion to Cover 700,000 More Illegal Immigrants

Experts Predict Increase in Immigration to State Offering Taxpayer-Funded Healthcare Including 'Gender-Affirming Care'

California's MediCal program has expanded to cover about 700,000 illegal immigrants between the ages of 26 and 49, providing full coverage under the taxpayer-funded program.
The expansion includes coverage for 'gender-affirming care', such as hormone therapy and surgical procedures.
Experts suggest that the expansion might draw more illegal immigrants to the state, as they tend to migrate to states offering public resources like healthcare.
California's budget deficit has grown from $14 billion to $56 billion, raising concerns about the financial sustainability of the program.
Almost 380,000 illegal immigrants have been encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border during fiscal year 2024, following over 2 million encounters in each of the previous two fiscal years.