Senate approves health care coverage bill for children uninsured because of immigration
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The Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would provide healthcare coverage to thousands of children in Virginia who are uninsured because of their immigration status.
Senators voted 24-16 to pass SB 1327, also known as The Cover All Kids Act, introduced by Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond. The bill would add Virginia to the list of 12 other states and Washington, D.C. that have or are in the process of implementing a comprehensive state-funded healthcare program for children regardless of their immigration status.
The program would offer the same benefits as Medicaid and FAMIS and provide care for children who are underinsured either because their parents’ employers do not provide coverage or their immigration status as undocumented disqualifies them from health insurance coverage.
“The Cover All Kids program would remove backwards and outdated eligibility rules, opening a path to health coverage for 13,000 uninsured and underinsured children in Virginia.” McClellan wrote in a statement. “We must take action to ensure that every child in Virginia has access to health care, regardless of their immigration status.”
Supporters of the bill emphasized the economic benefits of providing consistent care for uninsured kids who often only seek health in emergency situations because they lack insurance coverage.
“It will help families who can take their kids to preventative care services before things get too bad,” Freddy Mejia executive policy director for The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis said. “They’ll be able to take care of their children without having to worry about the financial stressors, allowing them to pay for other essentials, like rent, food, and transportation.”
Despite the lack of vocal criticism and bipartisan support, the bill will face an uphill battle in the House where discussion of an identical bill introduced by Del. Kathy Tran, D-Fairfax, was indefinitely postponed in a House Health, Welfare and Institutions subcommittee earlier this session.
