California may pull health care from eligible undocumented migrants

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) positions himself as a national figure for Democrats searching for party leadership following President Donald Trump’s return to office. But his administration has just pulled back on the promise of health care for all in its latest budget proposal.

For years, Newsom made expanding California’s public health care program toward a single-payer system one of the tentpole issues of his political career. Instead, his spending plan for the coming year would see undocumented migrants paying a hefty monthly premium to participate in the state’s Medi-Cal Medicaid program. The shift would also block new enrollees starting in the coming year.