Births to Undocumented Immigrants Cost Medi-Cal $400M Annually
Births to undocumented immigrants and related expenses account for about $400 million of the approximately $1 billion that Medi-Cal spends annually on services for non-U.S. citizens, according to some documents and reports, the Los Angeles Times reports. Such services account for the largest cost to Medi-Cal for services for undocumented immigrants.
State reports indicate that about 100,000 undocumented immigrant women's deliveries are covered by Medi-Cal, and the Times reports that those births comprise one-fifth of births in California.
California is among the "more generous states" with regard to pregnancy-related services for undocumented immigrants, according to the Times. Health care and immigrant rights groups say that about 12 other states offer similar benefits to undocumented immigrants.
According to state figures, vaginal births and prenatal care cost about $3,224 each on average, and caesarean deliveries cost about $5,153 each on average (Larrubia, Los Angeles Times, 12/23/06).