The morning after, now what?

But they can't afford firefighters to put out wildfires.

Newsom promised universal health care. He didn't expect it to be so expensive.​

His top officials at the state Department of Finance quietly disclosed to California lawmakers in a letter that the state had borrowed $3.4 billion to pay health insurers, doctors, and hospitals caring for patients enrolled in California's Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal.

An estimated 1.6 million immigrants without legal status are now covered, and costs have soared to $9.5 billion per year, up from $6.4 billion estimated in November.

Medi-Cal paid L.A. Care, a major health insurer in Los Angeles, an average of $495.32 monthly to provide care for a childless adult without legal status and $266.77 for a legal resident without kids.

Not only were immigrants without legal status more expensive, California footed most of the cost. The state paid roughly between 60% and 70% of health care costs for a childless adult immigrant covered by L.A. Care, and about 10% for a legal resident without kids.


 
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