Tag: health care

California to offer 700,000 illegal immigrants free healthcare as deficit soars and population shrinks

California is ushering in 2024 with free healthcare for more than 700,000 migrants living illegally in the Golden State as the state is faced with a looming $68 billion deficit.

The program, which was announced in May by Gov. Gavin Newsom, will provide health insurance for approximately 700,000 illegal immigrant residents aged 26-49.

California has been providing free health insurance to illegal immigrants who are under 26-years-old since 2019.

The program will begin on Jan. 1, 2024 and will provide more illegal immigrants with health insurance under the state’s Medi-Cal coverage.

When he proposed the bill two years ago, Newsom called the expansion “a transformative step towards strengthening the healthcare system for all Californians.”

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Ohio’s Republican governor vetoes trans care restriction and sports ban

Ohio’s governor vetoed a bill Friday that would have restricted both transition-related care for minors and transgender girls’ participation on school sports teams.

Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto makes him one of only two Republican governors to veto a restriction on gender-affirming care, alongside Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson in 2021, and one of only three Republican governors to veto a trans athlete bill after Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb last year.

In a press conference on Friday following his veto, DeWine said the “gut-wrenching” decision about whether a minor should have access to gender-affirming care “should not be made by the government, should not be made by the state of Ohio,” rather it should be made by the child’s parents and doctors.

Prior to vetoing the bill, DeWine told The Associated Press that he visited three Ohio children’s hospitals to learn more about transition-related care and spoke to families who were both helped and harmed by it. 

“We’re dealing with children who are going through a challenging time, families that are going through a challenging time,” he said. “I want, the best I can, to get it right.”

The Ohio General Assembly, which is controlled by a Republican supermajority, can override the governor’s veto with a three-fifths majority vote.

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GEORGIA PRISONERS CAN BE DENIED VITAL HALFWAY HOUSE PLACEMENT DUE TO MEDICAL CONDITIONS

In August of 2021, Gus, a prisoner in Georgia, found himself entangled in red tape when seeking vital medical care for his Hepatitis C. His decision to begin the treatment would cost him dearly. Despite having no choice but to go to the doctor, Gus says the move rendered him ineligible for transfer to a transitional center (TC)—a sort of state-run “halfway house.” The decision extended his time behind bars by roughly a year, as those in transitional housing can receive extra credit toward their sentences.

Since the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) would not continue his treatment if he moved to a transitional center, Gus says he had to choose between his freedom and life.

Gus was released from prison on August 4. And, without spending the last year or two in a TC, he left his institution unprepared, unhoused, scared, and destitute—except for the $25 the state gives imprisoned people upon release.

In Georgia, some incarcerated people seeking transfers to transitional centers may face a troubling predicament: they may need to choose between access to vital medical treatments and the opportunity for successful rehabilitation. Transitional centers are pivotal for individuals reintegrating from incarceration into society. There are only 12 transitional centers in Georgia, which contain roughly 2,300 TC beds. Only two of those centers are accessible to women. These reentry centers provide a structured environment that offers steady employment, educational programs, and opportunities to develop necessary life skills. In addition, those participating in transitional center programs have an easier time getting driver’s licenses, securing community resources, and obtaining housing before their release.

Denying medical care to incarcerated people with chronic medical needs, who also need placement at these centers, can significantly reduce their chances of successful reintegration. This practice has raised concerns among both incarcerated people and advocates, who argue that denying necessary healthcare services undermines reentry efforts and perpetuates a cycle of incarceration.

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