Assembly Passes Bill To Make California First State To Cover Undocumented Immigrants Under Medicaid

The state Senate will consider the measure next. In national news, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services refutes reports on missing migrant children. And a special report focuses on burnout doctors are suffering by being required to give uninsured, undocumented patients suboptimal care.

Modern Healthcare: California Assembly Passes Bill Expanding Medicaid To Immigrants

California's General Assembly has passed a bill to become the first state to extend Medicaid coverage to immigrants, regardless of their status. The bill, known as AB 2965, passed the Democratic-controlled Assembly 33-21 on Wednesday. The proposal would eliminate legal residency requirements in California's Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal, and the state has already nixed the requirement for individuals younger than 19. (Dickson, 5/30)

CQ: HHS Official: Reports On Missing Migrant Kids 'Inaccurate'

The Trump administration on Tuesday sought to explain the unknown whereabouts of nearly 1,500 undocumented children previously held in government custody after they entered the United States illegally before last December. The Health and Human Services Department said in April that in a 2017 survey of 7,635 unaccompanied migrant children who arrived at the U.S. border and were placed with a U.S. sponsor, a total of 1,475 could not be reached. The children's whereabouts were the subject of thousands of Twitter posts in recent days, some of which coincided with International Missing Children’s Day. (DeChiaro, 5/29)

California Healthline: Another Cause Of Doctor Burnout: Being Forced To Give Immigrants Unequal Care

There are an estimated 6,500 undocumented immigrants in the U.S. with end-stage kidney disease. Many of them can’t afford private insurance and are barred from Medicare or Medicaid. Treatment of these patients varies widely from state to state, and in many places the only way they can get dialysis is in the emergency room. [Dr. Lilia] Cervantes and her colleagues interviewed 50 health care providers in Denver and Houston and identified common concerns among them. The researchers found that providing undocumented patients with suboptimal care because of their immigration status contributes to professional burnout and moral distress. (Harper, 5/31)

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