'Long overdue': Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes universal health care for all Californians

In a move that could bring healthcare to thousands of San Joaquin Valley farmworkers, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced this week plans to extend Medi-Cal coverage to all Californians, regardless of their immigration status.

"We are positioned with this budget to be able to deliver on what we've been promoting: Universal health care for all regardless of pre-existing conditions, regardless of the ability to pay, and regardless of your immigration status," Newsom said during a visit to Lamont Community Health Center, a rural Kern County clinic.

Current law extends Medi-Cal coverage to undocumented immigrants over age 50 and under age 26. This new proposal would fill in the gap for adults of all ages at a projected $2.2 billion annual cost, making California the first state in the nation to do so. It would take effect January 2024, if approved.

"We believe in this principle; we believe in the right to have quality care... We also believe that families are strengthened, particularly in a state as diverse and large as the state of California, with so many mixed-status families," the governor said.

California's coffers are overflowing with a record $45 billion surplus, but opponents of the proposed budget have loudly questioned the state's ability to pay for the measure in future years, when the financial outlook may not be so rosy. Voters would likely have to approve a boosted income tax to make universal healthcare a reality in the Golden State.

Newsom addressed those critics preemptively, arguing that the state already bears those costs through emergency room visits.

"We have universal health care in the state and in this country, but it's on the backend: It's called the emergency room, and it's costing you the taxpayer a fortune," he said.

Civil rights icon and farm labor advocate Dolores Huerta joined Newsom at the press conference in support of what she called a historic moment for the state.

"We are going to be the first in the nation, the United States of America, that is finally going to recognize our immigrants and to give them the kind of health care that they need, she said

Local farmworker advocates echoed Huerta's support for the measure that they argue will help keep the workers who pick the nation's food healthy.

"I think it's long overdue," Hernan Hernandez, founder of the California Farmworker Foundation, told the Times-Delta. "If you look at the undocumented community, it doesn't stop at a certain age.

"We need to find a way to make sure that they have health care coverage so that they can have access to services that they need in order to have a better quality of life."

The Delano-based nonprofit provides services to roughly 250,000 Valley farmworkers annually. Of those, up to 70% are undocumented.

Hernandez said the proposal is particularly important in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, which has disproportionately ravaged the South Valley's farmworker community.

"California is certainly leading the way when it comes to protection and access to health care services for the undocumented community," he said. "[Immigrants] are an integral part to our society ... It's immigrants who make sure you have food on the table when you go out to have breakfast, lunch and dinner."

Newsom reiterated his support for Central California at the Kern County event, saying the state is working to secure healthcare workers to send to the region's hospitals, including Visalia's Kaweah Heath, which recently announced it had 200 employees on coronavirus-related leave.

"it is a point of deep pride, not just principle that we're here in the Central Valley, where we come back over and over and over again, to make the point that this state is for all Californians," Newsom said. "One of the most dynamic and vibrant parts of California that is represented not just here in Lamont, but throughout this region, the fastest-growing part of the state of California."

While the governor's proposal recently passed a key legislative committee, it has a long way to go before becoming law. Republicans opposed the law, arguing the bill would cost too much and pay doctors and nurses less, potentially worsening a shortage of health care workers.

“If government-run health care becomes law, millions of Californians will flee the state — either to avoid the $163 billion per year in new taxes or to escape the lengthy waits for care that will become the norm,” Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Joshua Yeager is a reporter with the Visalia Times-Delta and a Report for America corps member. He covers Tulare County news deserts with a focus on the environment and local governments.

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This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: California's Newsom proposes universal health care