“Governor Deval Patrick plans to announce a spending proposal tomorrow that retains medical coverage for some 30,000 legal immigrants who are at risk of losing it, and will also agree to ensure dental coverage for another 700,000 of the state’s poorest residents, administration officials said yesterday. State-subsidized coverage for the two groups has been endangered this year as Patrick and lawmakers struggled to craft a budget amid an economic downturn that has sharply curtailed tax revenues. The governor will propose the healthcare spending for legal immigrants as an amendment to the state’s $27.4-billion budget that he will sign tomorrow. Patrick’s proposal for the legal immigrants is a short-term fix that will require more work with lawmakers, who have resisted the coverage because it is especially expensive for the state.” (06/28/09)