Health4All

About

The rate of uninsured residents in California has dropped dramatically thanks to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and additional state reforms. Despite this progress, the ACA explicitly and unjustly excludes undocumented immigrants from health coverage. In 2013, the California Immigrant Policy Center and Health Access California formed the Health4All Coalition to advocate for the state to end these unjust and discriminatory exclusions based solely on immigration status.

The coalition’s years of advocacy have resulted in a number of wins. California first invested in providing full-scope Medi-Cal to all low-income children, regardless of immigration status, in 2016 (“Health4All Kids”). Subsequent expansions to include undocumented young adults ages 19-25 and older adults age 50 and above took effect in 2020 and 2022, respectively. Beginning in 2024, California made history by allowing all income-eligible individuals to access Medi-Cal, regardless of immigration status. This is the most expansive program for undocumented older adults in the nation. Ensuring every Californian stays healthy through access to preventative health care not only advances health equity but also makes our health care system stronger and more efficient, benefiting everyone in our state.

However, approximately 530,000 undocumented Californians—our parents and siblings, friends and neighbors, taxpayers and workers in our economy—remain locked out of comprehensive health care because their household incomes are above the Medi-Cal eligibility level and they do not have access to employer coverage or Covered California (the state’s health insurance marketplace).  This is why the next goal of the campaign is to allow all Californians regardless of immigration status to purchase affordable health insurance through Covered California.

Any effort towards universal coverage, whether in California or nationally, will not be successful until everyone, regardless of status, has access to our healthy care safety net programs. The #Health4All Campaign continues to champion the human right to health care for everyone who calls California home.

Community Voices

What We Have Accomplished

2023

Health4All Covered California (continued)

The Health4All Coalition celebrates the final expansion of Medi-Cal beginning in 2024, making California the first state in the nation to offer comprehensive benefits to all income-eligible residents, regardless of..Read More

Health4All “2.0”

The coalition sets its sights on the next major milestone for the Health4All Campaign: ending the exclusion of undocumented individuals from the Covered California health insurance marketplace. New legislation with..Read More

2022

Closing the Gap

As a result of our campaign efforts supporting AB 4 (Arambula) and SB 56 (Durazo), California commits to ending the Medi-Cal exclusion of adults ages 26 to 49 due to..Read More

2021

Health4All Older Adults

Following a record state budget surplus, the coalition wins Health4All Older Adults, Medi-Cal eligibility for undocumented Californians ages 50 and above.

2020

AB 4 (Arambula) and SB 29 (Durazo)

Health4All Young Adults is implemented on 1/1/20. Governor Newsom includes the Health4All Seniors proposal for undocumented seniors ages 65 and older in his initial budget proposal but rescinds it after..Read More

2019

Health4All Young Adults

Health4All Young Adults passes with Governor Gavin Newsom’s support, expanding Medi-Cal eligibility for undocumented immigrants ages 25 and younger, making California the first state to extent coverage to undocumented adults.

2018

SB 974 (Lara) & AB 2965 (Arambula)

Two bills are introduced: SB 974 (Lara), to allow undocumented elders ages 65 and older to enroll in Medi-Cal, and AB 2965 (Arambula), to do so for young adults ages..Read More

2016

Health4All Kids

Health4All Kids is implemented, leading to over 250,000 children (and counting) enrolled into Medi-Cal.

2015

SB 75 (Lara), aka Health4All Kids

SB 75 (Lara), aka Health4All Kids, is signed into law, expanding Medi-Cal eligibility for all income-eligible minors ages 18 and younger in California, regardless of immigration status.

2014

Health4All Legislation

Health4All Legislation is introduced for the first time in California State Legislature.

Bills

Resources