NEW Taxpayer-Funded Medi-Cal Extends Coverage For Gender Transition Treatments And Surgeries For Illegal Immigrants

Written By BlabberBuzz | Wednesday, 03 January 2024 03:20 PM
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NEW Taxpayer-Funded Medi-Cal Extends Coverage For Gender Transition Treatments And Surgeries For Illegal Immigrants

California's Medi-Cal program, which offers taxpayer-funded healthcare to undocumented immigrants, now includes coverage for gender transition treatments and surgeries, as revealed by a Daily Caller News Foundation review.

The state memo from May 2022 confirms that the program encompasses hormone therapy and surgical procedures aimed at aligning primary and secondary gender characteristics with the individual's identified gender. Ancillary services, such as hair removal, are also covered under the program.

State Senator María Elena Durazo stated in May that approximately 700,000 undocumented immigrants aged between 26 and 49 are eligible for full coverage under Medi-Cal as of January 1. This is part of California's ongoing efforts to broaden the program's reach.

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The Medi-Cal program was expanded in 2015 by then-Governor Jerry Brown to include undocumented immigrant children. Governor Gavin Newsom further extended the coverage in 2019 to include undocumented immigrants aged 19 to 25. The latest expansion now extends coverage to immigrants up to the age of 50.

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The state memo further clarifies that "gender affirming care is a covered Medi-Cal benefit when medically necessary." It emphasizes that requests for such care should come from specialists experienced in providing culturally competent care to transgender and gender diverse individuals, following nationally recognized guidelines. The memo also states that "medical necessity is assessed and services shall be recommended by treating licensed mental health professionals and physicians and surgeons experienced in treating patients with incongruence between their gender identity and gender assigned at birth."

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This expansion comes at a time when illegal immigration at the southern border has seen a significant increase. Federal data indicates that over 2 million encounters of migrants crossing the southern border illegally were recorded in fiscal year 2023, with more than 2.2 million recorded in fiscal year 2022.

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Governor Newsom's office defended the latest expansion, stating to ABC News, "In California, we believe everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care coverage – regardless of income or immigration status." They added, "Through this expansion, we're making sure families and communities across California are healthier, stronger, and able to get the care they need when they need it."

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