On June 23, President Obama’s championing for Immigration reform received some sobering news when the Supreme Court thwarted Obama’s plan to protect certain illegal immigrants from possible deportation. It was a blow to those hoping for a change in how America handles undocumented immigrants. However, immigrants are being protected in the way of healthcare, thanks to states like California.
Under the Affordable Care Act, illegal immigrants are primarily banned from purchasing health care from the Marketplace, even when paying out of their own pocket. Their only option is to pay health care providers directly or via a broker. Earlier this year, a plan was set in motion for Covered California to allow immigrants access to purchasing health care regardless of their documentation, and in June that goal became further realized.
The California Assembly passed a bill where immigrants are able to purchase their health care from Covered California – the CA Health Insurance Marketplace – as the state applied for a federal waiver to allow both legal and illegal immigrants the option to utilize the ACA’s Marketplace on a State level. This process is made possible through “1332 waivers,” a move that allows for state-by-state innovative changes made to the ACA, approved by the federal government.
So what does this mean? While Covered California has maintained a reputation for offering the best health insurance rates to those who use it, this will alleviate the cost of health care for many residing and working in the United States. It’s one step in the right direction, considering when the ACA says health coverage for “all,” that shouldn’t exclude anyone.