California governor criticized for proposal to eliminate health benefit for some disabled immigrants

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed he would not fix the state’s budget deficit by taking away health insurance from low-income adults living in the country without legal permission, calling the state’s policy “something I believe in.”

But Newsom would eliminate an important health benefit for some low-income immigrants with disabilities, angering his allies who are now accusing the second-term governor of breaking his word.

California was one of the first states to give free health insurance to all low-income adults regardless of their immigration status. The multibillion-dollar project, completed in January, made more than 1 million people eligible for California’s Medicaid program, including many people who had never before had health insurance.

Now, just five months later and with California facing an estimated $45 billion deficit, Newsom wants the state to stop paying for caregivers to come to the homes of some disabled people — who are living in the country without legal permission — to help them with cooking, cleaning and other tasks so they can stay out of nursing homes. Everyone else would keep that benefit.

The Newsom administration says this would save about $94 million and impact fewer than 3,000 people out of the more than 15 million who are enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal. But eliminating the benefit would also keep thousands more from becoming eligible in the future.

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