Health and Immigrant Rights Advocates Respond to Medi-Cal Budget Shortfall

The State’s Finance Department sent a letter to Legislature yesterday alerting them of an additional $3.4 billion appropriation for Medi-Cal for this fiscal year

Sacramento, CA – For more than a decade, the Health4All coalition, led by Health Access California and the California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC), has been working closely with the state Legislature and Governor’s office to remove barriers to health care and making our state’s Medi-Cal program more accessible for all Californians. The organizations have released the following statements responding to the news that a letter from the state’s Department of Finance indicated a budget shortfall this year in the Medi-Cal program:

“Medi-Cal is a huge program with many moving pieces – not to mention the fact that the underlying cost of care has been rising rapidly over recent years. This includes things like the cost of prescription drugs, hospital stays, nursing homes, and more. We’re committed to tackling the high cost of health care through avenues like the state’s new Office of Health Care Affordability,” said Amanda McAllister-Wallner, interim executive director at Health Access California. “It’s irresponsible, although not surprising, that a number of elected officials have chosen to politicize this procedural announcement to advance their own anti-immigrant agendas. The real threat to our Medi-Cal program is billions of dollars in cuts in the Congressional Republicans’ budget that would tear coverage from millions of Californians. In the face of federal attacks, California must stand firm in its commitments to making our communities healthier by maintaining coverage for all in Medi-Cal.”

“California has been a national leader in creating a more equitable health care system for all. There are thousands of people whose lives have been made better by reducing our uninsured rate and moving us closer to universal health coverage,” said CIPC Executive Director Masih Fouladi. “This is not the time to turn our backs on some of California’s most vulnerable families. We are committed to working with Gov. Newsom and leaders in the Legislature to continue to make Medi-Cal accessible to all Calfornians, regardless of their immigration status, because we know that a healthy population benefits us all.”

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