Study finds 125,000 immigrant youth with “Deferred Action” may be eligible for Medi-Cal

Young immigrants with legal status can apply for medical insurance in California, this is much better than using hospital emergency rooms for minor illnesses.    - - Donna Poisl

By Public Affairs, UC Berkeley

SACRAMENTO – University of California researchers today released two reports that indicate high need and potential for health coverage among undocumented teens and young adults in the Golden State. The findings trail a bill recently introduced in the California Legislature that calls for healthcare coverage for all Californians regardless of their immigration status.

Up to 125,000 young immigrants are estimated to be Medi-Cal (the state’s Medicaid program) eligible under state policy, according to a new report, Realizing the Dream for Californians Eligible for DACA: Demographics and Health Coverage released by the UC Berkeley Labor Center, the UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.  DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, provides temporary work authorization and relief from deportation for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. In California policy, unlike that of most other states, low-income individuals granted Deferred Action are eligible for Medi-Cal.
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