It is indeed a great humanitarian advocacy to make sure every individual — regardless of race, gender, age, income, and yes, immigration status — gets access to healthcare. But will your conviction change if you are asked to foot the bill through your income taxes, to pay for health care coverage for those living in the country without legal papers, and who perhaps do not pay income taxes? Would this be fair and equitable, especially for the middle class who will be most affected sector of society?
This will perhaps be the point of contention in a new bill filed in California, home to the most number of Filipinos in America.
The Bill is SB4, filed by two State Legislators who are sons of immigrants.
As Balitang America Correspondent Rommel Conclara reported, they are Senator Ricardo Lara, born to undocumented Mexican parents, and Assemblymember Rob Bonta, the first Filipino American elected to the California State Legislature.
Senator Lara and Assemblymember Bonta said it is their responsibility to ensure healthcare for all undocumented immigrants in California.
The proposed bill will provide health insurance for the state’s 1.5 million undocumented residents either though Medi-Cal, which is the health insurance program for low-income people, or through Covered California.
“Nationwide, one million API undocumented members in our community and nearly half of that is in California in the 400,000s. So Filipino-Americans being the largest Asian American group in California, we’re going to be a significant amount of that 400,000,” stated Bonta in the Balitang America report.
Bonta pointed out that it is necessary that this bill passes in order for people to get proper treatment without fear of deportation and paying high medical bills.
“Make no mistake; we are providing care in California at taxpayer cost for undocumented Californians today. The emergency room is one of the most expensive points of health care delivery in the entire system. That’s not efficient,” explained Bonta.
Those who oppose the bill contend that expanding Medi-Cal to the undocumented would cost California more money; however, since the state approved $40 million in its budget for health insurance for undocumented children, the cost in SB4 will go down.
Bonta argued, “We spend over a billion dollars today on undocumented Californians health care. So fiscally what we’re proposing is better: to provide comprehensive care with wellness and prevention on the front end and in my view it’s morally the right thing to do.”
Cognizant of and compassionate about the plight of immigrant families, Bonta and Lara said they want to show the entire country why it’s important to take care of all people.
“It’s interesting because I think some can argue that Latinos and Filipinos are actually more alike than we are separate. It’s important to lead by example. We need to ensure that ethnic leaders work together for the greater good of all California,” Lara enthused in Conclara’s report on Balitang America.
If the proposed bill SB4 is signed into law, California would be the first state in the country to provide state-funded health insurance to undocumented residents.
Should this bill be enacted into law? Would you want this bill be a law in other states as well?
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
