California’s program giving health care to illegal immigrants, Medi-Cal, also includes transgender surgeries.
According to a memo from 2022, Medi-Cal includes hormone therapy and a “variety of surgical procedures that bring primary and secondary gender characteristics into conformity with the individual’s identified gender, including ancillary services, such as hair removal, incident to those services.”
“Gender-affirming care is a covered Medi-Cal benefit when medically necessary,” the memo adds. “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.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) expanded the Medi-Cal program to cover all illegal immigrants in the state.
“In California, we believe everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care coverage – regardless of income or immigration status,” Newsom’s office told ABC News. “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.”
El Cayon Mayor Bill Wells condemned Medi-Cal.
“Our state faces an array of challenges, but instead of focusing on the needs of taxpaying citizens, it is placing illegal immigrants at the front of the line, by providing free healthcare for undocumented immigrants,” he said in a statement. “Public assistance has ballooned to become the second biggest government expense for the County of San Diego, and the trajectory only points upwards.”
“California’s failed policies have rolled out the welcome mat for migrants and illegal immigrants, providing them with whatever they need. While other states are rightfully pushing back, our state politicians have advocated more of this unsustainable approach. California continues to disregard its taxpaying citizens, placing those not from this country at the forefront of our priorities.”
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond also criticized the move, calling it “unfathomable.”
“Against numerous challenges in California with a staggering homeless population, the highest gas prices in the country, exorbitant utility costs, crumbling infrastructure, while facing a $68 billion budget deficit, the decision for free health insurance to undocumented immigrants paid for with taxpayer dollars is unfathomable.”
