California taxpayers will soon be footing the health care bill for older illegal immigrants as part of a recently approved state budget.
The budget deal will guarantee coverage for low-income, undocumented immigrants older than 50. The plan was initiated by Democrats, who’ve said they want to ensure everyone has health care insurance.
The coverage, set to take effect in 2022, will cost taxpayers $1.3 billion per year.
California state Sen. Jim Nielsen said he felt providing health care to those living in the country illegally was one of the most egregious parts of the bill, which Newsom was expected to sign by July 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year.
“Individuals who are illegally in California now will receive [health] benefits equal to a citizen of California. All they had to do is just simply be here, and whether they were of legal status or not makes no difference,” Nielsen told The Epoch Times.
“I would argue that is at the expense of Californians who are legally here and have been here their whole life. Also, it inflates the budget considerably, and it becomes a part of the base budget, meaning the ongoing budget into the future. Every year, we have to build into the base expenditure, the extension of the people served.” – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --