California State Senator Ricardo Lara explaining Health Care for All bill. AJPRESS PHOTO
Health coverage for remaining uninsured would need funding
New levies on drivers licenses, remittances on the table
LOS ANGELES, California A proposed state law that seeks to fund health care coverage for Californias remaining uninsured could lead to new fees on remittances and drivers license applications.
An expanded Medi-Cal and an insurance marketplace for undocumented immigrants, will need funding, according to State Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Huntingon Park/Long Beach), the primary author of Senate Bill 1005 or the Health For All Act.
The imposition of new fees is being debated by bill proponents, Sacramento policy makers and think tanks, who are trying to find ways to make Health For All a fiscally sound program.
For immigrants whose families back home rely heavily on remittances from the United States, fees on remittances could be a big setback. The added fees on remittances could also adversely impact the economies of some countries that are greatly depend on foreign remittances.
But Lara clarified that these fees are still theoretical at this point, and are not yet considered as the ultimate solution to make the Health For All program work. Lara made the clarification during an ethnic media roundtable hosted by New America Media on Friday, September 5.
Theres no set fee now. Were just in the discussion phase. Were trying to figure out how much money were actually going to need to be able to fund this exchange and the expansion of Medi-Cal, Lara said.
Lara, who is joined by a broad and diverse statewide coalition of health, immigrant and community advocates in the push for Health For All, said that it is tricky to figure out how much money this program is going to cost.
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New fees on remittances to help fund California health care expansion?