Nevada Democrats Plan To Give Medicaid To Illegal Immigrants, Estimate $78.5 Million Cost

Nevada’s Democratic state lawmakers are planning to introduce a bill to provide Medicaid to illegal immigrants. The initial cost is $78.5 million.

The proposed legislation comes from State Sen. Fabian Doñate, Co-Majority Whip of the Senate Democrats. Doñate issued the cost estimate during a Wednesday press conference; however, he implied that the extension could end up being more, since there are no exact data on illegal immigrant totals in Nevada and folks are “scared” to accept their immigration status. The bill — titled the “Nevada Health Opportunities, Planning, and Expansion Act,” Oder “HOPE Act” for short — has yet to be filed.

Doñate first disclosed the Medicaid expansion plan during a press conference on the opening day of Nevada’s legislative session last month through the Latino Legislative Caucus, which he chairs. This session’s legislative priorities include the proposed extension of benefits for illegal immigrants.

The NLLC is proud of its efforts to serve our communities, and fight for the rights and dignity of fellow Latino brothers/sisters.
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— Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus (@NVLatinoLeg) February 7, 2023

In a Wednesday press conference on the act, Doñate called the legislation “fiscally responsible” “the right thing to do.” Doñate then invited two illegal immigrant activists to testify on behalf of the proposed legislation.

Samuel Cano, an activist who is illegally immigrant, explained that the legislation was very important to him since he’s currently in “undocumented” CSN nursing student. Cano, who claims he was illegally in the country at the age of 4, has served as a student leader at CSN and led campus senators for the Associated Students of the College of Southern Nevada.

Cano said that he can’t get insurance for his health because he’s illegally immigrant. Cano stated that this limit prevents him achieving his dream career as nurse.

“This is a major setback for me, and it is preventing me from achieving my goal. It is heartbreaking to know that the only thing that is standing between me and my dream is something as basic as health care,” Cano.

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Cano is involved in many other activist activities. Cano joined the Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition at The Nevada State Capitol earlier this month to make clean water and air. “clean and healthy environment” Into constitutional rights within a “Green Amendment.” A constitutional amendment proposed would also prohibit state legislators from taking actions that would degrade or diminish the environment.

Rico Ocampo is an illegal immigrant activist for Make the Road Nevada. He claimed that the United States failed him in his childhood because his family couldn’t get insurance after his older brother was diagnosed as having terminal pancreatic cancer. (Ocampo’s Make the Road Nevada bio lists his younger brother as not older). Ocampo’s family claimed to have lost their home and were in debt hundreds of thousands of dollars, despite having received financial assistance from social workers.

“We didn’t qualify for Medicaid because of our immigration status. The health care system failed us, and we were left to bear the financial and emotional burden of Carlito’s [inaudible] on our own,” Ocampo. “He died as an undocumented person, a tragic reminder of how the country that I call home will gladly take our labor but deny our humanity.”

Other caucus members include Majority Floor Leader Sandra Jauregui, Assemblywomen Elaine Marzola, Selena Torres, Bea Duran, and Cecilia González, and State Sens. Edgar Flores and Dina Neal — all Democrats.

Democrats control a majority of Nevada’s House & Senate. They have 13 members in Nevada’s 21-member Senate and 28 in Nevada’s 42-member House. Republican Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo. To override Lombardo’s veto, the legislation will need to be approved by both the House or Senate. The bill would be reintroduced if the legislature is not in session.

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