Assembly Member Santiago and Senator Durazo Celebrate Historic Medi-Cal Expansion to Undocumented Immigrants 50 and Older

(Sacramento, CA) – Today, Assembly Member Miguel Santiago (D- Los Angeles) and Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), in partnership with QueensCare Health Centers, hosted a press conference to celebrate California’s historic investment in expanding Medi-Cal to low-income undocumented immigrants 50 and older.

“If there’s one thing COVID-19 has taught us, it’s the importance of having access to basic healthcare,” said Assembly Member Santiago. “COVID-19 hit low-income, people of color the hardest, particularly undocumented immigrants, due to their lack of access to healthcare services. By expanding Medi-Cal to our undocumented elders, California will be helping to prevent more families from paying up to thousands of dollars in out of pocket costs for basic health needs. I am proud to have been a part of this historic fight to expand healthcare to our undocumented neighbors.”

“With the Delta variant of COVID-19 sweeping through California, it is more important than ever that we continue in our fight to expand health care access to all Californians, regardless of immigration status,” said Senator Durazo. “We are proud and excited of the inclusion of all Californians 50 and older in this year’s budget, but it’s equally important that we get the word out about the program so that our most vulnerable communities know how and when they will be able to enroll in Medi-Cal next year. This is a matter of our collective public health - our healthcare system will only be truly effective for all Californians once all Californians have access to health care.”

"QueensCare Health Centers joins community health centers across California to celebrate this unprecedented expansion of Medi-Cal to cover undocumented residents,” said Eloisa Perard, the President & CEO of QueensCare Health Centers. “This legislation is a step in the right direction for equitable, prevention-focused healthcare for over 235,000 qualifying Californians. QueensCare Health Centers will continue to advance the #Health4All goal and fight to provide quality healthcare to all regardless of ability to pay, health coverage, and immigration status. We rejoice in gratitude for our civic leaders who advocate for healthier communities."

In 2019, California became the first state in the country to provide healthcare coverage to undocumented immigrants up to age 26. Beginning after May 2022, California will be expanding Medi-Cal services to approximately 235,000 undocumented immigrants aged 50 and older, who will now have access to preventive services, long-term care and In-Home Supportive Services.

Today’s press conference can be viewed here.

Assembly Member Miguel Santiago is the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Communications and Conveyance and Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Los Angeles County Homelessness. He also sits on the Assembly Committees on Public Safety, Health, Higher Education and Utilities and Energy. He represents the 53rd District composed of the cities of Los Angeles, Huntington Park, and Vernon.