At the GOP convention, it was at the top of the agenda: 12 million illegal immigrants have entered the country in the last four years. Cities from Denver to New York City have taken American money to provide housing, education, services, and public health services to illegal immigrants.

But the policy, championed by then-Senator Kamala Harris, comes with financial and human costs that American patients or American taxpayers should not have to bear. Yet six states plus D.C. To do this, use creative accounting and financing tricks called “compassion.”

Effective January 1, 2024, California’s SB 184 would allow all undocumented immigrants, including those ages 19 to 64, to qualify for Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom later boasted that California would become the first state in the country to offer universal health care regardless of immigration status.

Conservatives say the change would add 700,000 illegal adult immigrants living in California’s white cities to Medi-Cal and is expected to cost $3.1 billion annually. However federal law prohibits California from using taxpayer money to fund the program. So how does California pay for this? Federal taxpayer dollars were involved in the state’s Medicaid fraud. California’s Medicaid program is the largest in the country, with a projected 2024 budget of $156.6 billion. But it’s not just California taxpayer money being spent; taxpayer dollars are being spent, too. California spends about three federal dollars for every state dollar.

In response to California’s decision to spend taxpayer money on health care for undocumented immigrants, the Biden-Harris administration approved a loophole that would allow California to spend more money on Medicaid to avoid federal dollars being spent on Medicaid programs.

For years, California has been doing more and more good for more and more people in the name of compassion. But they’ve attacked healthcare workers to do it. The more healthcare providers are paid to see Medi-Cal patients, the harder it is for people with disabilities or urgent needs to see a provider, which leads to longer wait times. With 40% of Californians on Medi-Cal, fewer providers can afford to see more patients. The only official contribution to government funding has been to subsidize the bill; ironically, when Newsom needed money to close a $45 billion budget gap, he plundered providers instead of cutting health care for undocumented immigrants.