Healthcare experts warn 'people will die' unless state steps up amid federal cuts

"Federal cuts could strip about 1.2 million Californians of Medi-Cal coverage, with health experts warning the consequences could be dire. New work requirements and eligibility checks every six months will block even qualified people from coverage, while private insurance costs are skyrocketing. Lawmakers are being urged to close corporate tax loopholes, automate verification systems, and expand telehealth to cushion the blow to vulnerable Californians."

""It impacts not only uninsured but also Medicare and commercially insured patients who rely on the same system," said Dolly Goel, a physician and chief officer for the Santa Clara Valley Healthcare Administration. "People will die." Goel was among more than a dozen speakers this week at a state Assembly Health Committee hearing held to collect input on how to address cuts enacted by a Republican-backed tax and spending bill signed last year by President Trump."

"The so-called "Big, Beautiful Bill" passed by Republicans shifts federal funding away from safety-net programs and toward tax cuts and immigration enforcement. A recent report from the Legislative Analyst's Office, which advises the state Legislature on budgetary issues, estimated this will reduce funding for healthcare by "tens of billions of dollars" in California and warned about 1.2 million people could lose coverage through Medi-Cal, the state's version of the federal Medicaid program providing healthcare coverage"

Massive federal cuts are shifting funding away from safety-net programs toward tax cuts and immigration enforcement, reducing healthcare funding by tens of billions of dollars in California. About 1.2 million people could lose Medi-Cal coverage. New work requirements and six-month eligibility checks may block even qualified people from coverage, while private insurance costs are rising. Hospitals, Medicare beneficiaries, and commercially insured patients may face spillover impacts. Lawmakers were urged to close corporate tax loopholes, automate verification systems, and expand telehealth to protect vulnerable Californians amid the budget changes.

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