50 Cent is calling on MSNBC anchor Ari Melber to help him make sense of California’s recent decision to offer illegal migrants health insurance. The Power mogul took to Instagram on Wednesday (January 3) to share a headline that read: “CALIFORNIA BECOMES FIRST US STATE TO OFFER HEALTH INSURANCE TO ALL ILLEGAL MIGRANTS.”
He wrote in the caption, “I don’t understand this, this it going to cost 2.6 billion dollars for tax payers. They don’t even give veterans health insurance. @arimelber call my phone now, help me understand this s###. WTF.”
As Melber told AllHipHop via text, he quickly replied to 50 Cent’s request, writing, “We can get into it in the next interview for sure. Gonna be a big 2024. Primaries start this month—ever think of running, 50?!”
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50 Cent got some pushback from people like journalist Roland Martin, who said, “Why don’t you call Black-owned media? You are wrong about veterans. We have an entire VA Affairs agency in DC. Second, BY LAW, emergency rooms are REQUIRED to treat ANYONE that comes in. Guess who foots the bill in each county? TAXPAYERS. Also, those illegal immigrants have jobs and pay taxes. So AGAIN, California taxpayers are already footing the bill when people show up to emergency rooms, even for basic care. Those are FACTS.”
Another person added, “So it’s ok for them to clean your homes, hotels, and make your food but not ok for them to be healthy while doing it? Healthcare should be a human right. Period,” while another said, “You guys will believe anything coming from a celebrity cuz veterans and millions of Americans have health care.”
Others are asking for 50 Cent to reconsider his post, writing things like, “Come on 50, don’t do this. When people don’t have healthcare everyone suffers. What do you think happens when the uninsured go to ERs? I absolutely love you but please don’t post on things that fuel hate towards different groups of people. Healthcare SHOULD be a human right.”
As reported by KCRA, California became the first state in the country to offer health insurance to all undocumented immigrants just recently. Beginning in 2024, 750,000 adults between the ages of 26 and 49 years old are now eligible for Medi-Cal benefits.