As American families nationwide grapple with record-high grocery prices, California’s progressive leadership, under Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, has reportedly diverted billions in taxpayer dollars to supply free, high-end meals to welfare recipients, including a significant number of illegal immigrants residing in the state.
Enrollment in California’s expansive Medi-Cal welfare program, which now covers millions of illegal aliens, provides weekly deliveries of what can only be described as luxury groceries. Think salmon, premium beef, organic produce, and pre-prepared gourmet health food brands, all courtesy of Newsom’s controversial $12 billion Medicaid reform package, grandiosely titled "CalAIM." This jaw-dropping revelation comes from a Wednesday report by City Journal.
Newsom’s office, unsurprisingly, offered no immediate comment when pressed on this staggering misuse of public funds.
To qualify for this lavish food service under CalAIM, recipients must be enrolled in Medi-Cal and merely claim some form of underlying health condition, be it a chronic ailment or a mental health issue. Suddenly, a "health condition" becomes a golden ticket to a taxpayer-funded feast.
Medi-Cal then funnels Medicaid funds to California-based food contractors, who are tasked with delivering these bespoke meals directly to recipients' doorsteps for up to 12 weeks. And because bureaucracy knows no bounds, eligible recipients can simply re-enroll, ensuring a continuous flow of gourmet provisions.
Project FoodBox, one such contractor, stands out as the nation’s largest biller of Medicaid code S9977 – an obscure "meals" code conveniently covering "medically tailored food." Between 2022 and 2024, Project FoodBox raked in an astounding $67.8 million from Medicaid, proving once again that government programs often enrich private pockets at public expense.
Another California-based entity, "Hunger: Not Impossible"— now operating as Bento Health — received over $7.7 million in Medicaid funds specifically to "connect Medicaid health plan members with curated groceries." And yes, this includes sending luxury food items directly to illegal immigrants.
Bento Health’s own website confirms the absurdity, stating that eligibility for its services "is not tied to immigration status, employment status, nationality, or any other factor other than your insurance provider’s eligibility criteria." Apparently, American citizenship is no longer a prerequisite for taxpayer-funded handouts in the Golden State.
These programs carry a hefty price tag, costing taxpayers more than $1,500 for a single "medically tailored meals" recipient, as documented by City Journal. That part should not be complicated for anyone struggling to feed their own families.
With nearly 14 million people in California currently enrolled in Medi-Cal, according to an August 12 report from the UC Berkeley Labor Center, the scale of this fiscal irresponsibility is immense.
In 2024, California brazenly extended "full-scope" Medi-Cal coverage to illegal aliens, resulting in some 1.6 million undocumented individuals now relying on this welfare program for free healthcare, per the California Health Care Foundation. While the state has supposedly frozen new sign-ups for illegal immigrants, previous enrollees continue to enjoy their coverage, guaranteeing that qualified illegal aliens in California still receive these state-funded, luxury food boxes — completely free of charge.
This shocking report surfaces just weeks after the federal government deferred $1.2 billion in Medicaid funding to California. One might wonder if even federal bureaucrats are starting to notice the state’s fiscal recklessness.
It’s an insult to hardworking Americans that California, the most expensive state for groceries in the continental U.S., with prices nearly 11 percent above average, is simultaneously lavishing free gourmet meals on those who have broken our immigration laws. Across the nation, nearly one in five working adults are forced to dip into their savings just to cover weekly grocery bills, according to a recent Urban Institute study. Yet, in Newsom’s California, illegal immigrants are living in a welfare wonderland, enjoying delicacies most American families can only dream of.
This isn't just a policy failure; it's a profound betrayal of the American taxpayer and a blatant disregard for the common sense principles that should guide our public spending. It underscores the urgent need for America First leadership that prioritizes its own citizens over unsustainable, open-border welfare schemes that undermine our national security and economic stability.
