NYC’s Bill de Blasio Guarantees ‘Free’ Health Care to All, Including Illegal Aliens

Mayor Bill de Blasio will announce Tuesday that New York City will introduce a program to provide “free” health care to all the city’s residents, including illegal immigrants.

ABC 7 reports NYC Care will guarantee health care for approval 600,000 people without health insurance in New York. The plan will is expected to ensure care to resident regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status. According to Politico, the unprecedented program will cost an estimated $100 million. The mayor does not plan on raises taxes to pay for the plan. Bill de Blasio will hold a press conference announcing the details of the plan at 11 A.M. EST.

In a statement to MSNBC, a spokesperson for the mayor clarified earlier reports indicating the plan will provide health insurance instead of care.

“This is the city paying for direct comprehensive care (not just ERs) for people who can’t afford it, or can’t get comprehensive Medicaid — including 300,000 undocumented New Yorkers,” Eric Phillips, de Blasio’s press secretary, tweeted Tuesday morning.

de Blasio touted the plan in an interview with MSNBC Tuesday, noting it has “never been done in the country in a  comprehensive way. “Health care isn’t just a right in theory, it must be a right in practice. And we’re doing that here in this city,” he told host Willie Geist.

“We’ll put the money in to make it work; it’s going to save us money down the line,” he added. “We’re already paying an exorbitant amount to pay for health care the wrong way when what we should be doing is helping them get the primary care.”