State leaders estimate that the federal Medicaid cuts will force 3.4 million Californians out of our version of the program, known as Medi-Cal. But we do not have to sit idly by and wait for the fallout. In fact, states and communities still hold real power to blunt the worst outcomes and protect coverage for millions.
California can implement the law in the least harmful way: creating broad exemptions, simplifying paperwork and deploying technology to reduce administrative friction.
While we’ve heard a lot about how new changes to federal program will hurt Medicaid, there’s another big part of the health care system that’s also at risk: Covered California, our state’s health insurance marketplace.
In California, nearly 2 million people depend on Covered California for health care.
Let me introduce you to some people whose lives would be upended if Republicans in Congress carry through with plans to decimate health care funding that covers 15 million Californians.
They are my neighbors and friends here in Laguna Woods, a small Orange County community in which 83 percent of residents are over 65.
Medicaid — which provides health coverage for almost 15 million Californians and about half of the state’s children — could face billions of dollars in federal cuts under a budget proposal from House Republicans.
That’s alarmed families like the Pequeños, who rely on Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California, to pay for medical care and other support for their children with chronic conditions.
The number of Californians with untreated mental health conditions is increasing.
At its root, the lack of access and insufficient treatment for mental health conditions is driven by declining insurance coverage and low reimbursement rates to providers, according to the author, who urges policymakers to listen to monitor rates to ensure that more Californians can access the care they need.
Into the void left by a health care system that doesn’t offer sufficient translation services and an economy that demands grueling labor from low-wage workers, Punjabi residents in Fresno have created an organization to help each other.
A team of five community health workers visit Sikh temples and Punjabi-populated neighborhoods to assist in accessing health care.
Last year when other Medi-Cal providers (like OBGYNs and doulas) were given a rate increase for their services, community health workers were left out.
As the California legislature begins discussions about how to streamline the state’s budget, we hope they will consider allocating money for this essential service.
The WIC food assistance program is needed and effective. However, there are multiple barriers to accessing services.
By modernizing how health data is shared with local WIC agencies, we can increase program enrollment, enhance care coordination with health care providers and improve the health of high-risk, underserved populations.
California is the first state in the country to expand Medicaid to all qualifying adults regardless of immigration status.
But many undocumented immigrants, especially those who live in parts of California where the cost of living is much higher, earn slightly too much money to qualify for Medi-Cal.
Millions of Californians feel they can’t afford to address their health needs, whether through medication, doctor’s visits or insurance coverage.
California’s new Office of Health Care Affordability recently proposed capping medical spending growth at 3 percent. This would limit how much things like insurance premiums or the cost of medical services could rise every year.