California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Friday to help undocumented immigrants purchase health insurance on the state's Affordable Care Act exchange, the Los Angles Times reported.
Under the ACA, undocumented immigrants are not allowed to purchase coverage through state exchanges. Under S.B. 10, California will request a waiver from the federal government that will allow undocumented immigrants to buy unsubsidized insurance through Covered California, the state's ACA exchange.
"The current policy disallowing immigrants from purchasing care with their own money is both discriminatory and outdated," Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-BellGardens), the bill's author, said in a statement.
If the federal government approves the waiver, some 390,000 undocumented immigrants in California who do not qualify for Medi-Cal — the state's Medicaid program — will be allowed to purchase coverage through Covered California.
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