Undocumented kids given access to health care in California

Undocumented children living in California may now avail of health care coverage, as the state's Med-Cal program has been expanded to cover undocumented children from low-income families.

Children under 19 whose parents earn $65,505 or less a year are eligible for dental, vision, and mental health benefits, according to a report on The Desert Sun.

Families will pay a premium of $13 per child and up to $39 for all their children, while those with income "on the lower end of the scale" will receive coverage for free.

Parents may enroll their children to Medi-Cal by mail, in person, or online.

The Health For All Kids Act was signed in October 2015.

According to Sen. Ricardo Lara, the act will make California the "state with the largest immigrant population to provide health care coverage to low-income undocumented children."

A report on Fox 40 said undocumented adults may receive the same benefit soon if Senate Bill 10 or Senate Bill 1418 passes state legislature.

Senate Bill 10 would allow undocumented adults "pay for the kind of benefits offered through Affordable Care Act under Covered California," while Senate Bill 1418 "would create another extension of Medi-Cal to help this population."

Based on 2011 estimates of the US Citizenship and Immigration Service, 270,000 of the 3.45 million Filipinos in the US are undocumented.

A report on Migration Policy Institute in 2015 indicated that 45 percent of Filipinos reside in California. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News