Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill, sponsored by State Senator Ricardo Lara, which makes California the first state in the United States to provide insurance coverage to undocumented children.
“It has been a two-year effort that will finally provide medical insurance to undocumented children. The Governor just granted the budget, which will provide an additional $40 million to ensure that 180,000 students have access to medical coverage starting Monday, May 16,” explained California Senator Ricardo Lara.
Over 180,000 students are expected to benefit from the new law, among them Maribel’s children. Maribel is a Mexican immigrant who crossed the border more than a decade ago in search of a better life, but who has since lived in constant fear of not being able to provide proper medical care for her two children, who are 12 and 16.
“They were little when I brought them here and it’s been a life of limitations, of thinking [what would happen if] they get hurt one day while out playing, or if they have to have emergency surgery. We always run the risk of being exposed when filling out forms, because they have no Social Security number,” confessed Maribel.
Her little girl, Valentina, is the one most excited about having these services available, since both her and her brother have had to miss out on different activities due to not having insurance. “Now that we have this law, I feel peace in my heart. If I feel sad one day, now I can go to a psychologist. If I feel sick, I can go to the doctor,” shared Valentina, one of the children helped by the initiative.
Public officials such as Senator Ben Hueso and Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez supported the initiative, stating that as Latino representatives they will make their best effort to protect their rights.
“It is very important for [undocumented immigrants] because the live in California, even if it is not legally, but they live in our schools, and they are the future of our country,” said California State Senator Ben Hueso.
“We can’t leave them behind, let them get sick and not have medical insurance,” shared California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez.
Both the process and the eligibility requirements are simple. A family must earn less than 266 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, which is equivalent to $5,387 per month for a family of four.
Before this law, undocumented children could only get limited healthcare services and only in the event of an emergency. Now, they will be able to have primary care, see specialists, and receive nutrition services, among others.
