California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been caught charging U.S. taxpayers for the healthcare bills of the state’s illegal alien population.
According to local media, Newsom filed nearly $53 million worth of reimbursements that the state now must return to the federal government:
NBC15 reports:
California owes the federal government $52.7 million after it “improperly” requested reimbursements for services provided to noncitizens, according to a recent inspector general report.
The Golden State claimed Medicaid reimbursements for services it provided to “noncitizens with unsatisfactory immigration status,” the report reads. The category does not include those seeking asylum or refugees. States are prohibited from claiming such federal reimbursements except in medical emergency situations, which did not apply here, according to the report.
A review conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services inspector general’s office revealed that California employed an “outdated calculation” method for claiming federal reimbursements between October 2018 and June 2019. This method failed to exclude services provided to noncitizens, which must be paid for by the state.
“We recommend that California: (1) refund to the Federal Government the improperly claimed Federal reimbursement of $52.7 million for capitation payments made on behalf of noncitizens with UIS and (2) work with CMS to determine the amount of any improperly claimed Federal reimbursement for capitation payments made on behalf of noncitizens with UIS for an agreed-upon period not covered by our audit,” auditors wrote.
California is one of many Democratic states that not only protect illegal aliens from deportation but provide a variety of freebies including healthcare bills.
Last December, the Golden State became the first in the nation to give illegal aliens taxpayer-funded health insurance. Since its implementation, around 700,000 people have become eligible for Medi-Cal, the state version of the low-income federal Medicaid program.
“In California, we believe everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care coverage – regardless of income or immigration status,” Newsom said at the time.
