California has expanded its Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, to cover all eligible residents regardless of immigration status. This expansion costs an estimated $157 billion annually, serving about 15 million low-income residents, including 1.5 million undocumented immigrants. While this expansion has reduced the uninsured rate to a record low of 6.4%, there are concerns about access to care due to workforce shortages and insufficient payments for providers. Some patients struggle to find specialists, like in the case of Vanessa López Zamora, who had trouble accessing a gastroenterologist. However, others have benefitted from Medi-Cal, like Douglas Lopez who received dental treatment he couldn’t afford before.
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California Expanded Medi-Cal to Unauthorized Residents. The Results Are Mixed.
