Sen. Bernie Sanders’ proposed “Medicare for All” plan released Sunday night would cover illegal immigrants, an aide revealed to Politico.
The plan will now surely be discussed in the context of the current contentious immigration debate and has already received criticism due to its tax hike on middle class families. Obamacare currently does not provide subsidies for some 12 million estimated illegal aliens.
Hillary Clinton said in October that she wants to “open up the opportunity for immigrants to be able to buy in to the exchanges under the Affordable Care Act,”adding, “I think to go beyond that … so that they would get the same subsidies, I think that is — it raises so many issues. It would be very difficult to administer, it needs to be part of a comprehensive immigration reform, when we finally do get to it.”
While Sanders’ health care proposal does not explicitly mention illegal immigrants, Warren Gunnels, a senior policy advisor to the Vermont senator’s campaign said, “It would cover everyone, including aspiring Americans.” His plan would cost an estimated $1.38 trillion a year and would require six separate tax hikes.