On a recent Tuesday evening in Richmond, Marta waited to see a doctor. In recent months, she had developed a rash that covered her body, and her entire face had been swollen. <\/p>\n
Marta, whom the Express agreed to not identify fully because she is an undocumented immigrant, was seeing a doctor at a free clinic for the uninsured that is open just once a week. Unlike most health-care facilities, this clinic is staffed by volunteer doctors, nurses, receptionists, and medical interpreters. Volunteers believe many of those seeking care at RotaCare Richmond Free Medical Clinic at Brighter Beginnings, one of a dozen volunteer-run clinics founded by Rotarians in the Bay Area, are undocumented like Marta, although they do not ask patients about their immigration status. <\/p>\n
\"Most of the patients we see are working, and most of them are in low-paying jobs,\" said Dr. Pate Thomson, a medical director at the clinic and a retired cardiologist. <\/p>\n
Despite the successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the expansion of Medi-Cal in California this year, about three million state residents remain uninsured. Of those, about one million are undocumented and thus are not eligible to enroll under Obamacare. Prior to this year's rollout of the Affordable Care Act, undocumented residents made up 20 percent of the uninsured population in the state. They now represent about 30 percent of the remaining uninsured, according to a report by the Health Access Foundation. <\/p>\n
But that could change later this year. The state legislature is currently considering Senate Bill 1005, dubbed the \"Health for All\" act. Authored by Senator Ricardo Lara, D-Long Beach, the bill would allow undocumented people to sign up for Obamacare and Medi-Cal through Covered California, the state's health insurance exchange. <\/p>\n
\"I know from my own personal experience and other immigrant families that we knew that there are many difficult struggles that immigrants face as it is, and basic health needs should not be one of them,\" said state Assemblymember Rob Bonta, a co-author of the bill whose district includes Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro. Assemblymember Nancy Skinner, whose district includes Berkeley, North Oakland, and Richmond, is also a co-author. <\/p>\n
An estimated 2.6 million undocumented people meaning those who came here illegally or who came here legally but then lost their legal status live in California. About 124,000 reside in Alameda County and 79,000 in Contra Costa County, according to estimates by the Public Policy Institute of California. Undocumented people make up about 10 percent of the state's workforce. <\/p>\n
Undocumented Californians also paid about $2.7 billion in taxes, including property, sales, and income taxes, in 2010, according to the most recent annual estimate available from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. \"There's this misconception that undocumented people are 'takers' that they're benefiting from public benefits but not contributing,\" said Daniel Zingale, senior vice president of The California Endowment, which has embarked on a multimillion-dollar campaign also named \"Health for All\" to raise awareness about undocumented people and their inability to access health care. <\/p>\n
Currently, 29 percent of undocumented adults nationwide receive health insurance through their job or have private insurance, according to the Migration Policy Institute. But the others may never see a regular physician. They use home remedies when they're sick or injured, or they end up in the emergency room when their health deteriorates significantly. Some seek help from places like RotaCare or other safety net providers in the area, including clinics such as La Clnica de La Raza and Asian Health Services in Oakland. <\/p>\n
SB 1005's proponents, who include traditional health advocates and immigrant rights activists, say the legislation will decrease the amount the state will have to pay for emergency treatment of undocumented residents.It's unclear, however, exactly how much the state would save. A recent study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that undocumented Californians currently show up at the ER at about half the rate of US-born residents. But undocumented people may be avoiding the ER because of their fear of being deported. <\/p>\n
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Health Care for All?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On a recent Tuesday evening in Richmond, Marta waited to see a doctor. In recent months, she had developed a rash that covered her body, and her entire face had been swollen. Marta, whom the Express agreed to not identify fully because she is an undocumented immigrant, was seeing a doctor at a free clinic for the uninsured that is open just once a week Continue reading