Trending News Today: Proposed Bill Seeks to Provide Healthcare to Undocumented Immigrants

California Senator Ricardo Lara has created a bill requesting the federal government’s permission to give undocumented immigrants health insurance through Covered California. Lara states that this will add no additional cost to the state or federal government. The Los Angeles Times reports that the permission of the federal government would allow as many as 390,000 illegal immigrants to purchase healthcare.

According to The Wall Street Journal, prescription drug spending in the United States jumped 122.2% to about $425 billion in 2015. This rise can be attributed to expensive new drugs and price increases for older drugs, as well. Some say that medications are not accessible to many patients due to high costs and will strain healthcare budgets.

The chief executive of Valeant Pharmaceuticals, J. Michael Pearson agreed to be removed from office by a Senate committee, according to The New York Times. The Senate Special Committee on Aging is investigating Valeant and several other companies in relation to rising drug costs. This rise is said to cause financial hardships for patients, insurers, and the government.