PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — In a conversation with KATU on Thursday, House Republican Leader Lucetta Elmer, R-McMinnville, discussed the importance of raising awareness about the state’s spending disparity between healthcare for non-citizens and the Oregon State Police (OSP).

For the current biennium, about $1.5 billion is budgeted towards the Healthier Oregon program. About $717 million is budgeted towards OSP, according to the Department of State Police Legislative Adopted Budget.

Essentially, the state is going to be spending more than double what it’s spending on state police on healthcare for non-citizens.

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According to the Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) budget review for the current biennium, the program “is an Oregon Health Plan (OHP), non-Medicaid program that covers members who meet eligibility requirements for OHP except for their citizenship status.”

KATU asked Elmer about the disparity. Specifically, we asked, “Why not fund undocumented immigrants in their health care as opposed to making hospitals bear the cost for ER visits that will inevitably occur?”

“Yeah, and I think you know that is a fair question and that is a good point and that’s definitely part of the conversation. But it’s not the only conversation here at hand,” said Elmer. “But what else is happening here is that this coverage to healthy Oregon is way more than just emergency room visits. I mean, we’re talking full-on dental care, full-on health care, including preventative. We’re talking about psychiatric care.”

A spokesperson for the Oregon Health Authority sent us a statement. KATU is still working to confirm the $1.2 billion figure listed below:

Oregon Health Authority continues to stand with immigrant communities and all 1.4 million people who rely on Oregon’s Medicaid program. Our mission is to ensure health care access, and we oppose all efforts to thwart it.

Since July 2023, Healthier Oregon has provided free health coverage to children and adults who meet income and other eligibility criteria for the state’s Medicaid program regardless of their immigration status. About 105,000 people are currently enrolled in Healthier Oregon, which covers the same physical, behavioral and oral health care that is covered by Oregon’s traditional Medicaid program – including primary care, emergency and hospital care and prescription medications.

A variety of immigrants can qualify for Healthier Oregon, including people who have refugee status, lawful permanent residents (“green card” holders) who have been in the U.S. less than five years, those who are enrolled in DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), individuals with student or work visas, and others who would otherwise qualify for Medicaid except for their immigration status.

The total 2025-27 budget for the Healthier Oregon program is approximately $1.2 billion, with about $900 million covered by state funds and about $300 million covered by federal funds. The federal funding portion covers emergency and pregnancy care that the federal government is required to cover nationwide per theEmergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) of 1986.

This story will be updated.