California Governor Signs $2.8 Billion Medi-Cal Bailout to Cover Soaring Costs, Including for Illegal Immigrants

The bill authorizes emergency funds to keep California’s Medicaid program afloat as costs surge and criticism mounts over illegal immigrant coverage.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with oil pumps in the background in Los Angeles on Sep. 25, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed emergency legislation that will close a $2.8 billion shortfall in the state’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal, ensuring continued health care coverage through June for approximately 15 million low-income residents, including hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants.

Newsom signed Assembly Bill 100 into law on April 14, according to a statement from his office. The measure is part of a broader response to an estimated $6.2 billion budget gap in Medi-Cal, the state’s sprawling public health care program.