On Thursday, a D.C. Council committee agreed to set aside $20.5 million to continue offering illegal immigrants free health insurance. The agreement comes as other D.C. government services see reductions. The Washington Post reported the full council is expected to accept the agreement when it votes on the budget in late May.
D.C. Councilman David A. Catania said the money represented savings from eliminating some vacant positions, recalculating Medicaid enrollment, and transferring some funds between Health Department units. The Post reported the move reverses a proposal by Mayor Vincent C. Gray, which could have restricted illegal immigrants from receiving emergency care.
