https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/california-state-health-insurance-cover-090025570.html
That's right folks: Now the State is covering the cost of sex change operations........FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
I think you're overreacting. The story is that CA is providing health care for immigrants who have been present in the state since 2014. More health care coverage is a good thing.
Idiots like Boebert are focusing on one possible thing out of thousands of possible things that just happens to be a lightning rod headlines (illegal immigrants; gender affirming surgery) that could be covered if a physician determines it's "medically necessary".
Medi-Cal is required by law to evaluate requests on a case-by-case basis. They must approve those requests that they find to be medically necessary so long as the procedure is not considered to be 'experimental.' Medi-Cal's definition of experimental does not include gender reassignment surgery.
https://www.newsweek.com/california-paying-illegal-migrants-gender-transition-sparks-fury-1858188
I don't agree with everything Newsom does, but this is a bit of a straw man intended to invoke needless fury.
I work in healthcare. We have to treat everybody regardless of if they can pay. Getting more people on insurance is a plus.
It's #sad nowadays that we can't talk about the issues without people polarizing everything with half a fact, designed to tweak people emotionally, and away from using any kind of logic and reasoning to solve the problems that we need to solve with logic and reasoning.
Guess what Robslob?
Texas who everybody thinks is the anti-California,
An estimated 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants were in the U.S. in 2021, a slight increase from 10.2 million in 2019 according to a recent report by the Pew Research Center. However, Texas' population of unauthorized immigrants remained relatively stable at 1.6 million people.Nov 21, 2023
These are the people to paint your house, fix your roof, repair your car, do your lawn, make the burritos you buy, and a million other needed services. You're an immigrant too. I guess you forgot about Christian compassion and helping the poor?
For the record I'd love to see a sane immigration policy but we aren't going to have one as long as both sides benefit from bickering which they do....
How does a state like California intend to afford/pay for the full benefits of their healthcare system for the hundreds of thousands of new illegal immigrants?
@porkchopbob: Fine, the sex change thing may be publicized as a political stunt ("straw man" as you say). Let me explain why I have a problem with us funding ANY free healthcare for illegals:
In 2011 I was doing contract work as a Respiratory Therapist and did not have health insurance (when Obamacare kicked in soon after I was one of the first to sign up). I applied for a job at The City of San Francisco, the RT Manager knew me from a previous job and he wanted me. Fortunately they did a pre-employment medical exam. My blood pressure was skyrocketing out of control and I was in A-Fib. They told me they wanted to hire me but could not unless I got treated for those issues. Not having insurance, I went to the local County hospital, Valley Medical Center in San Jose. I did one night in the hospital and with all the tests, Doctors, medications and follow-up appointments the bill came to $15,000. When I was waiting in ER to be admitted, a financial person (OF COURSE) came to my room and interviewed me. Once they found out that I was single with no dependents and made $60,000 the prior year, the verdict was in: I was liable for the ENTIRE bill, and I didn't get any breaks that insurance companies negotiate when they decide how much of that bill to pay. After 13 years of making the minimum payments every month, I still owe $9,100 on this bill. They raised the minimum monthly payment maybe six years ago to $125/month. There are a LOT of things I could do with that $125/month, like paying down my credit cards.
Now tell me porkchopbob: Do you think this is fair? I was born in this country, am now 69 years old, have been a hard working, tax paying American citizen from my teen years (now retired), and I am stuck with this entire bill. At the same County hospital, any indigent person, REGARDLESS OF CITIZENSHIP gets put on a government assistance program and has their bill taken care of, SCOT FREE.
SMALL WONDER that illegals will do anything to get across that border and get in here, where they can walk in the door of a government run healthcare facility and have people like me help pay for it.
That sucks, but the problem is the broken for profit health insurance system in this country. No one should ever be getting bills like that, resident or not, health insurance or not. There still might be ways to mitigate the bill.
If California is trying to alleviate that for some, that's a good thing, because no one is crossing the border for the US's health insurance costs. My brother lives in Spain and he's tried explaining "in-network doctors" to people there and they look at him like he's crazy.
I went without health insurance for a decade so I could (try to) pay off my student loans (which are mostly taxes and not tuition, but that's another story). If some people are having those forgiven and I think that's great even if it's not "fair", because an economy doesn't function when the populace is in immense debt. The Obama administration tried valiantly to try to alleviate bloated costs for the uninsured, but there was much opposition, an some states spitefully whittled it down to nothing.
I'm more upset about rich people getting billions of dollars in tax breaks or forgiven PPE loans than poor desperate immigrants getting a few hundred for "medically necessary" care. Because when patient bills don't get paid, costs go up, and the next person gets the bill. If the state can absorb some of that, it helps the next person who can't afford it.
But "medically necessary" is the key phrase here, people shouldn't be denied something that is medically necessary (and even then, what is "medically necessary" can be denied by insurance companies). And I'm not mad when someone gets such treatment. And I'm not even sure there has ever been a "medically necessary" gender reassignment surgery except maybe a newborn. People have been blaming the most recent arrivals into their lands since the beginning of time, the burros don't know there's a border.
@porkchopbob: "That sucks, but the problem is the broken for profit health insurance system in this country. No one should ever be getting bills like that, resident or not, health insurance or not. There still might be ways to mitigate the bill."
If you know of a way to "mitigate the bill", please message me immediately and let me know what it is. For your information, I made a formal plea in writing to them in 2021, right after I retired, stating that I had been faithful in paying this for 10 years, and could they please forfeit my balance or at least reduce it by maybe 50%. I documented my retirement income and all of my bills with copies in the mail. I never as much as received a response. I also called only one month ago and left a voicemail with the person responsible for administration of my account. He never as much as called me back. Like my sister told me, "They've got you on the hook and they are not going to let go." I think she's right. They've got WAY too many freeloaders that they are paying for to ever do that.
I'll tell you one thing: I can look myself in the mirror every morning with pride. I AM WIPING MY OWN ASSHOLE, AND I ALWAYS HAVE.
because no one is crossing the border for the US's health insurance costs
Well no, they cross it because now there is no cost to them for the US health care
Well no, the article states it's for people who have been in CA since 2014, and only "medically necessary" treatment.
So if someone who crossed the border last week to get free "medically necessary" treatment in CA, they are going to be disappointed. And if someone crossed the border in 2014 because they needed medically necessary treatment and were waiting for free coverage, they're probably dead now.
Call me crazy, but the problem isn't that someone is getting services provided, it's that others aren't. I agree it's not fair, but the solution isn't subtraction. The for-profit Health Insurance industry is the problem and any time it can be mitigated it is a good thing.
Well no, the article states it's for people who have been in CA since 2014, and only "medically necessary" treatment.
So if someone who crossed the border last week to get free "medically necessary" treatment in CA, they are going to be disappointed. And if someone crossed the border in 2014 because they needed medically necessary treatment and were waiting for free coverage, they're probably dead now.
Call me crazy, but the problem isn't that someone is getting services provided, it's that others aren't. I agree it's not fair, but the solution isn't subtraction. The for-profit Health Insurance industry is the problem and any time it can be mitigated it is a good thing.
I see your Newsweek linked story says that, but no other article I've seen says that to be eligible for the newly expanded illegal immigrant ages 26-49 portion of Medi-Cal that said person must have been in the state since 2014.
Here is a copy and paste from a pdf from here on Medi-Cal eligibility:
https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/ltc/Documents/Medi_CalQandA.pdf
How long does a person have to be living in California before they can be deemed a resident of California for Medi-Cal eligibility purposes?
There is no time period associated with being a California resident. However, a person does have to be physically present in California with the intent to remain in California permanently or indefinitely.
Full scope, not simply "medically necessary"
Full-Scope Medi-Cal Coverage Expanded to Eligible Adults Regardless of Immigration Status
What’s happening: Effective Jan. 1, 2024, California will provide full-scope Medi-Cal benefits to individuals ages 26 to 49, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, who otherwise meet financial eligibility criteria for the program.
What else to know: The state previously expanded full-scope eligibility for similarly situated people ages 19 to 25 in 2020 and people 50 and older in 2022.
Under this coverage expansion, eligible individuals will be mandatorily enrolled into a Medi-Cal managed care plan and have access to the full continuum of Medi-Cal benefits including:
- Preventive care
- Behavioral health
- Long-term care
- Dental services
Previously, this population was only eligible for emergency and pregnancy-related care through the fee-for-service delivery system. The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) estimates that more than 700,000 individuals will be eligible under this expansion.
For further information, please visit the DHCS web page.
I don't live in California, so whatever I guess, right? This is part of the problem. Offering illegal immigrants benefits does not deter further illegal immigration, it encourages more of it! And that is hardly just a California problem
You buried the lede, the benefits are open regardless of citizenship. So, going back to the original straw man argument, it is not just offered to illegal immigrants and shutting out citizens. Expanded medical coverage is a good thing.
The amount of people crossing the border is a serious issue for sure, but they are mostly chasing opportunity or fleeing dangerous political environments. They aren't chasing free health care, they could find that in any number of other countries - how many people in the US look to Canada for their prescriptions?
This is an issue of expanding health care to everyone who needs it, and some of the beneficiaries happen to not have a green card. The US health insurance industry is absolutely broken. Let's not twist this into anti-immigration rhetoric.
I buried nothing, that is obvious what California is doing - and I think it is wrong and it worsens the illegal immigration problem here.
Bob, if we were in Congress together, I would be happy to work with you on how to provide health care to every US citizen with the proper means to pay for the program. We could find areas of agreement there I am sure. I have no affection for the health insurance companies.
However, I will not support offering the same benefits that US citizens, or legal immigrants should or could receive to illegal immigrants. Criminals should not be afforded the same benefits that legal persons living in the US have. And when there are places in this country that do offer benefits to illegals, including health care - that attracts more illegals. I am going to assume here, so I know that is dangerous, but I suspect that people coming from Costa Rica are very happy to be treated in US medical facilities. Maybe they could find acceptable health care in other Central American countries, I don't know, but it's not just that. Of course they are not just coming here for health care or medical treatment or medicines, but it is part of the attraction. And how many people can the US continue to absorb? Progressives like to tout the benefits that immigration (both legal and illegal) bring to the US, and to an extent - that is true, our country rightly or wrongly does depend on and benefit from both types of migrant workers. But where is the tipping point? We've gone past it I'm sure now. I believe that even some further on the left are starting to see the difficulty, the burden that increasingly high number of people coming here illegally is creating. Maybe, just maybe what Greg Abbot has done has started to make those supporting sanctuary cities realize the magnitude and the impact of the problem. I know people hate him for it, but having others share in dealing with the influx of people, those communities and cities and elected leaders who have no problem with illegal immigrants continuing to come by the thousands - fine, let everyone share in caring for them. All fine when it is concentrated in border states, well, let others in the country share the burden and costs of having to feed and house and manage these people - then, only then do they fully see the problem.
The carrots need removed, whether that is healthcare, or shelter or work - illegals should not be eligible for any of that. Therefore, I strongly disagree with what California has done. And I learned, this isn't anything new. This is just the third installment of their plan to offer healthcare to all people. They previously expanded coverage for young adults and those over 50. Excuse my ignorance and not voicing my opposition earlier.
So many problems in this country just keep getting worse and worse. No solutions and the problems never go away or fix themselves. Newsom thinks what he is doing will fix one problem he sees, providing accessible care for everyone. But I see that as contributing to bigger problems. Democrats think that Republican solutions make things worse, Republicans think that Democrat solutions make problems worse, independents can find fault with the solutions both parties offer. We are going down the creek without a paddle and only rougher waters lie ahead. And it is because of years and years and years of inaction to address the growing dangers and issues when we could, but then now even the fixes we have really don't fix anything. Pick the issue, extends way beyond illegal immigration. Take global warming if you want. Any hot button issue. The problems only get worse and worse right? So take your victory lap Governor Newsom, it might make you feel good, but you are only making larger problems worse.
I buried nothing,
It's just an expression it's not an accusation, I was just pointing out how the original article misrepresents the entire policy.
It's not like south and central American countries don't have legit health care. As I mentioned, I don't really agree with including illegal immigrants in this policy, but I just don't think offering affordable health care to the population present is an immigration issue. It's not a huge boon to people crossing the border, that's not the carrot they are chasing.
Health insurance in the US is absolutely a mess, it's the greater issue, and if CA is trying to ease the burden for some citizens (and some not citizens) I think it is a step forward. It's not a perfect solution, a finger in a hole of the Titatic.
And I get your frustration. Now more than ever people are disagreeing simply out of spite, we really have less to disagree on than ever. Rather than find solutions, we get political stunts that divide us more. Issues get milked for election year pageantry, and then votes are disappointed when the new administration hasn't radically changed their lives. Rinse and repeat.
But I'm hopeful, there are still people trying to change things for the better. I don't agree with Newsome on a lot of issues, but if a family received financial support for their kid's sinus infection I'm not going to get all provincial about it. You can't see borders from space. It's a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of money companies and rich people grift from the public every day.
I think Stephen Smith is right. California and the rest of our nation should perhaps look at solving the problems of their legal residents (like homelessness, unemployment, inflation among others) before they start handing out tax $ to to make life easier for illegal aliens.
@porkchopbob: Just wanted to give you, and everyone else here, an update on my medical debt situation.
I was recently in a Yahoo chat room regarding this subject and explained the situation just as I did here. I got some real helpful responses. One guy said, "Medical debt cannot effect your credit score. Just walk away." And credit score has been my main concern all along. Here's a copy and paste of what another guy said:
"go back and negotiate with the hospital-dont pay the full freight-insurance companies dont . I had a hospital bill of $11,000 -so i told them i will pay what the insurance company would pay you or i will walk away-all sorts of threats followed- i stuck to my guns ended up with a settlement of $6200- and i paid it off over 4 years."
Armed with this new information, I emailed someone whose advice I really trust, the IRS Enrolled Agent who has been doing my taxes for well over 30 years. He told me, "I also have heard that medical debt cannot effect your credit report. I would call them every day, morning and afternoon. If you don't get a response, compile the amount of everything you have paid them. Send them one more payment and state in your letter that this will be your final payment. Also write that on the back of your check."
I am overjoyed right now. It looks like there WILL be a resolution to this, or as you mentioned porkchopbob, a way to "mitigate this bill." I plan on skipping this month's $125 payment because I have a 5 day road trip next week including Gov't Mule in Albuquerque 2/21. I could use that extra $125 for spending $$$ on my trip. But I will mail in my final $125 payment in March with a letter. I did calculate what I have paid them over the last 13 years and with that final payment it will amount to $14,300. For a one night hospitalization, labs, tests and follow-up appointments, I think I have kept my financial obligation to this facility. If I were paying an insurance company's negotiated rate I'm certain I would be done with this bill anyway. Thanks for your input porkchopbob.
Oh man I am so happy for you! So many of us have found ourselves in debt and it's such a load to carry everyday. Medical debt is the absolute worst, because it's rarely ever a choice if it's medically necessary.
Years ago my brother's friend was in town from Brazil and had a medical emergency. She was rushed to the hospital unconscious, overnight stay, and went home with a large bill she could never afford. She ignored it and never paid it and it went away, which happens very often and one of the reasons the bills are so high in the first place. These places will just keep taking your money, and for what? Sorry I didn't know enough to give you any specific advice, I didn't want to advise you to just not pay not knowing more, so I'm so happy you found a resolution.
Is there expectation that they will turn the unpaid portion of the bill over to collection? I had a friend who successfully, although difficult at times, was able to negotiate all the debt his then wife (now ex wife) had run up unknown to him. He was able to get all the amounts down to a manageable level and get them off his back.
@nebish: Interesting question. All I can say is, I certainly hope not.
