Researchers from the Public Policy Institute of California teamed up with Stanford to develop what they say is a health-inclusive California Poverty Measure to understand how Medi-Cal expansion could benefit undocumented immigrants.

Researchers looked at data from the fall of 2021 and reviewed insurance needs and costs. When factoring in health coverage, researchers found the poverty rate to be much higher among non-citizens. But if the state-funded expansion of Medi-Cal coverage is successful, it could help bring that rate down. 

For more, KCBS Radio news anchors Patti Reising and Bret Burkhart spoke with Patricia Malagon, Research Associate at Public Policy Institute of California. She's the co-author of the report. 

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