The state of California has become the first state to financially cover transgender surgeries for illegal immigrants, thanks to a state program.
The program, called Medi-Cal, will allow around 700,000 illegal immigrants between the ages of 26-49 to be financially covered when receiving gender surgery. It comes after then-Gov. Jerry Brown (D-CA) signed a law to allow illegal immigrant children to qualify for Medi-Cal in 2015, which was then expanded four years later by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) to adult migrants, according to a state memo analyzed by the Daily Caller.
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“Gender affirming care is a covered Medi-Cal benefit when medically necessary,” a state memo read. “Requests for gender affirming care should be from specialists experienced in providing culturally competent care to transgender and gender diverse individuals and should use nationally recognized guidelines.”
Newsom’s office explained that the expanded health coverage was deserved for all state residents “regardless of income or immigration status.”
“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,” read a statement given to ABC News.
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The expansion of gender surgeries for illegal immigrants in the Golden State was joked about by 2024 Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, who stated he felt that such news was a recent headline for The Babylon Bee, a satirical news website.
Medi-Cal’s expansion is expected to cost California roughly $1.2 billion for the first six months, before increasing to around $3.1 billion per year, according to estimates released last year. The expansion was criticized by rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson III, who stated “they don’t even give veterans health insurance.”
