The law lets the state request a waiver from the federal government that will be needed to allow unauthorized immigrants to purchase unsubsidized insurance through Covered California, the state’s healthcare exchange.
“Today we ask the federal government to remove another barrier to health insurance access that discriminates against some of our residents on the basis of their documentation status,” said Senator Ricardo Lara, the bill’s author, in a statement.
Brown, a Democrat, signed the bill on Friday, according to the governor’s website. His office was not immediately available for comment.
The Los Angeles Times reported that if the waiver is approved, it would allow as many as 390,000 immigrants to purchase healthcare insurance through the state’s exchange.
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