LOS ANGELES — As of Jan. 1, California is the first state to offer all undocumented residents Medi-Cal, the state’s own version of the federal Medicaid program. 

Jorge, who has been living in the United States for eight years, has been afraid to seek medical attention, in part because of restrictive prices.

But now that he is eligible for Medi-Cal, getting a checkup has become far more accessible. 

Even before Jan. 1, many undocumented folks received medical care at St. John’s Community Health, a network of nonprofit health centers and mobile clinics that provide free and low-cost care to hundreds of thousands of patients in la county.

And according to their president and CEO, Jim Mangia, this new policy will make accessing vital health care more affordable for thousands of people.