Oregon’s State Senate on Saturday passed a bill that would make illegal immigrants in the state eligible for Medicaid-funded medical services — sending the legislation to Democratic Gov. Kate Brown for signature.
The bill, HB 335, expands eligibility to adults who would otherwise qualify for Medicaid-funded state medical assistance program but are excluded due to their immigration status. It passed 17-11 in the Senate, after having passed the House 37-21 earlier this week.
The development was first reported by The Lund Report, an Oregon-based outlet. The outlet had previously cited estimates that there are more than 110,000 illegal immigrants in the state and that the program would cost $100 million in the next two years.
Lawmakers in favor of the bill had estimated that the bill “would expand Medicaid coverage to include approximately 100,000 Oregonians who would otherwise be eligible except for their status as undocumented immigrants.”
“When opportunities in our state are withheld from a specific class of people, we perpetuate systems of inequity,” the lawmakers argued in The Oregonian. “As legislators of color, we believe it is important to challenge the injustices that have been in our nation and state since their founding.”
The bill is likely to be signed by Brown, a Democrat, who had previously expressed support for the “Cover All People” proposal.
“All Oregonians must have quality, affordable health care, regardless of who they are or where they live,” Brown said in March. “During my time as Governor, we’ve made great strides in expanding access. Currently, 94 percent of Oregonians and 100 percent of children have access to health care. The pandemic has taught us this is not good enough. And unfortunately, our communities of color have paid the price. Gaps in coverage persist, and these gaps are disproportionately borne by communities of color.”
By Adam Shaw
