Community health workers, promotoras and representatives are reaching out to Medi-Cal beneficiaries across the state, including immigrants. As confusion and fear spread about immigration raids, they’re working to provide comfort and information on health care rights.
According to Cal Matters, immigration agents are showing up at medical facilities more often, reversing a past policy of avoiding sensitive areas.
Lourdes Bernis Quinto is a promotora with Pasa La Voz, a program of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, speaking here through coalition translator Mar Velez.
“The community health worker promotora is born of the community, so they have direct connection and often share the same lived experiences,” Quinto explained. “They understand exactly what they’re going through right now.”
ICE has long had the right to access public spaces in medical facilities. The Trump administration said the access is needed to enforce immigration laws. But Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed Senate Bill 81, which prohibits a health care provider from granting immigration agents access to nonpublic areas of the facility without a judicial warrant or court order. It also clarifies immigration status collected by a health care facility is private, protected information.
Mar Velez, director of policy for the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, said people need to be able to feel safe while getting health care.
“SB 81 offers not just protection but guidance, so that everyone – no matter what your color of your skin is, no matter what your immigration status is – can safely continue to access health services,” Velez outlined. “Because health is a human right.”
Cary Sanders, senior policy director for the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, said the work being done is critical.
“Community health workers, promotoras, representatives, are helping to fill those gaps, providing updated information on people’s health care rights, to see the doctor, to help manage their conditions, when they may be too scared to visit a doctor’s office or to go into an emergency room.”
Undocumented immigrant adults are eligible for Medi-Cal coverage but due to budget constraints, new enrollments will be frozen on Jan. 1.
