ST. PAUL – Word appears to be getting around that free healthcare is available to illegal immigrants in Minnesota, as the number of people taking advantage of the state government freebie has already doubled in expected cost to state taxpayers.
State Representative Greg Davids (R-Preston) said the program was projected to cost $196 million over four years. With current enrollment, that cost has exploded to an estimated $550 million, and that total continues to grow.
“This was a bad idea two years ago, and it’s a really bad idea now,” Davids said. "With a $6 billion deficit projected in the future, it cannot be argued that providing free illegal immigrant health insurance is directly contributing to the future financial problems in this state.”
In 2023, a Democrat-led legislature and Governor Walz expanded MinnesotaCare eligibility to illegal immigrants. MinnesotaCare is a health coverage program for low-income individuals and families who do not have access to employee-sponsored health insurance and do not qualify for Medical Assistance (MA).
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, 17,396 illegal immigrants are now enrolled in MinnesotaCare, more than twice the original estimate of 7,700.
“This is very troubling news for Minnesota’s taxpayers, many of which are struggling to pay for their own family’s health insurance,” Davids said.
Davids added that the illegal immigrant enrollment numbers have not been publicly disclosed, and that they only became available after repeated requests from House Republicans and finally confirmed via email earlier this month.