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Bill Seeks To Allow Undocumented Calif. Residents To Buy Health Insurance

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would allow people living in the country illegally to buy health insurance through the state.

Under the Affordable Care Act, only U.S. citizens can buy policies through health exchanges such as Covered California.

About 2 million immigrants are living in California without legal permission, the most of any state.

State Sen. Ricardo Lara says his proposal would help those uninsured who are currently excluded under the federal health care law. The bill calls for the setup of an exchange to be run by Covered California that would cater to immigrants in the U.S. illegally. The exchange would be paid for with state money.

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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