XPost: alt.law-enforcement, alt.politics.republicans, misc.immigration.usa   
   XPost: sac.politics   
   From: deathpenalty@illegal.aliens   
      
   California governor faces federal criticism over Medi-Cal benefits as   
   transport costs jump from $339 to potentially $1,637   
      
   EXCLUSIVE: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is pointing to new   
   data from the state of California that shows the cost of taxpayer-funded   
   ambulance transport potentially rising by 383%.   
      
   The Trump administration is using the shocking statistic to further   
   blast Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom for providing healthcare   
   services through state-funded Medi-Cal and federally funded Medicaid to   
   illegal immigrants.   
      
   DHS and the White House have both been critical of illegal migrants   
   receiving healthcare benefits, mainly through emergency services. The   
   topic served as the center of discourse that contributed to the recent   
   government shutdown.   
      
   "President Trump consistently promised to protect Medicaid for eligible   
   beneficiaries," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News   
   Digital. "To keep that promise after Joe Biden flooded our country with   
   tens of millions of illegal aliens, CMS and DHS are exploring an   
   initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid   
   benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans."   
      
   "California should understand this principle pretty well by now, since   
   they had to announce they were freezing Medi-Cal enrollment for illegal   
   immigrants earlier this year," McLaughlin added.   
      
   In May, Newsom announced a plan to freeze new Medi-Cal enrollment for   
   illegal migrants beginning in 2026.   
      
   The California governor subsequently announced his intention to charge   
   illegal migrants who are already enrolled in the program a premium   
   beginning in July 2027.   
      
   The far-left state assembly debated some of these measures, but it   
   ultimately passed a budget that reflects Newsom’s changes to Medicaid   
   for undocumented adult Medi-Cal recipients. The California governor   
   originally wanted $100 a month for illegal migrants receiving benefits,   
   but Democrat-led assembly members lowered the premium to just $30.   
      
   Undocumented adults who are not yet enrolled in Medi-Cal will not be   
   eligible beginning in 2026.   
      
   With illegal migrants mainly receiving Medicaid through emergency   
   services, one area that specifically costs taxpayers is ambulance   
   transportation.   
      
   Since 2022, the cost of taxpayer-funded ambulances has risen from $339   
   per transport to $1,168 per transport in 2024 in the Golden State,   
   according to data collected by the California Department of Health Care   
   Services.   
      
   The state of California has submitted two requests to the Centers for   
   Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that, if approved, would increase   
   ambulance transportation to $1,597 in 2025 and $1,637 in 2026, a roughly   
   382% increase.   
      
   The department did not specifically attribute the rise to healthcare for   
   illegal immigrants, but DHS signaled a potential correlation.   
      
   DHS also addressed the Trump administration's wish to obtain specific   
   information about illegal migrants who are already enrolled or who are   
   receiving healthcare benefits.   
      
   "This information sharing is essential to identify who is in our   
   country, including violent criminals, determine what public safety and   
   terror threats may exist so we can neutralize them and identify what   
   public benefits these aliens are using at taxpayer expense," McLaughlin   
   told Fox News Digital.   
      
   "California Democrats, like Gavin Newsom, should stop putting illegal   
   aliens over Americans," McLaughlin added.   
      
   DOJ SUES NEWSOM OVER CALIFORNIA MEASURE GIVING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS   
   COLLEGE TUITION BENEFITS   
      
   California also receives federal financial Medicaid assistance through   
   means of intergovernmental transfers (IGTs), a sort of loophole that   
   allows the state to beef up its Medicaid spending, which is then matched   
   by federal tax dollars.   
      
   IGTs allow local governments like counties and public hospitals to send   
   money to the state that the state then claims as Medicaid spending. The   
   federal government matches the state’s spending under the inflated   
   amount, DHS explained.   
      
   States can then return the funds originally issued to them by local   
   entities, while keeping federal taxpayer dollars.   
      
   IGTs can arguably contribute to inflated ambulance costs. Private   
   providers are locked in at a rate of $339, while public, taxpayer-funded   
   transport has been grossly inflated in California.   
      
   DHS alleges the loophole is fueled by taxpayers across the country and   
   is being used to pay for healthcare for illegal migrants.   
      
   The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) told Fox News   
   Digital   
      
   "It is inaccurate to say that ambulance costs have spiked significantly   
   out of line with cost trends in the health care system and general   
   economic inflation," a DHCS spokesperson told Fox. "Medi-Cal payments   
   are based on public providers’ audited average costs and do not exceed   
   the average commercial rate."   
      
   "IGTs are a federally approved way for local public entities to use   
   local tax and other allowed revenue sources to supplement state-funded   
   Medicaid payments, the spokesperson explained. "All Medicaid payments,   
   including those funded by IGTs, must be approved by the federal   
   government as economic and efficient."   
      
   "Eligibility for Medi-Cal emergency services, including ambulance   
   transport, is based on medical necessity, not immigration status, the   
   DHCS spokesperson added. "Federal law requires states to cover emergency   
   medical services for all individuals who meet income and residency   
   requirements, regardless of immigration status. This includes emergency   
   ambulance transport when medically necessary."   
      
   While the complex loophole to raise more funding for Medicaid is used in   
   other states as well, California’s large number of illegal migrants   
   makes it an easy target for DHS and the Trump administration’s crackdown   
   on illegal migrants.   
      
   https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dhs-blasts-newsom-taxpayer-funded-health   
   care-illegals-california-ambulance-costs-may-soar-382-percent   
      
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