People Post is a space for opinion pieces, letters to the editor and guest submissions from members of the Long Beach community. The following is an op-ed submitted by a cohort of graduate students in the 3-year master’s degree in social work program at CSULB and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Long Beach Post.
The Affordable Care Act provided health care for many who were uninsured prior to its passage. However, there were some that were left out of this coverage: undocumented children.
Just like any other child who has the privilege to get regular check ups, vaccinations, specialist
visits, we believe undocumented children have the right to health care.
Denying immigrant children the basic right of health coverage has created significant physical and mental health issues for this population. Expanded coverage has been linked to lower mortality rates and improved education and employment outcomes. Therefore, expanding access to healthcare for this population and shifting toward recognition of healthcare as a basic human right will not only improve physical health, but also improve many psychosocial factors in the lives of these children.
To address this problem, Senate Bill 4 was proposed by California Senator Ricardo Lara in 2015, which extended health care services to all qualified low-income individuals under 19 years of age, regardless of immigration status.
SB 4 extends access to full scope Medi-Cal benefits such as regular, preventive, and primary care, dental, and mental health services, as well as behavioral health treatment for children with autism to undocumented children.
Yes, we are in agreement with the United Nations, which believes health care is a human right.
The UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights spoke of various basic human rights that all individuals are entitled to, including “the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family… medical care and necessary social services”.
Although 250,000 immigrant children qualify for health care, only 160,000 children have signed up to date. Some base their fear on deportation and feel by putting information out there, they can become more vulnerable.
More work needs to be done to reach all these children and families. We need to educate, and spread the word; these vulnerable children need it.
MSW 2018 Cohort,
Daniela Anzueto, Lindy Castillo, Sarah Escalante, Madelin Melara
California State University, Long Beach (CSULB)