In state and federal budgets, preserve access to care for the children, parents, seniors, and people with disabilities that depend on Medi-Cal and other public insurance programs.
Even though advocates offer many ways to improve Medi-Cal and Healthy Families, our public insurance programs work well, preventing millions of Californians from being uninsured. The impacts of such cuts will have not just a human impact on those affected, but also economic and societal impacts on families, communities, and the health system we all rely on. These programs must be protected from cut-backs, and efforts to preserve these programs must be part of a larger fight to win the funding necessary to keep these programs viable, and that means organizing for the taxes, fees, and other new revenues that support these critical programs.
Prevent budget cuts
That would deny or restrict access to care, either through direct cuts to eligibility, or by creating barriers to care, such as reducing reimbursement rates to providers or imposing additional paperwork burdens in order to receive needed care.
Reject “Medi-Cal Redesign” proposals
That would weaken existing protections and guarantees in Medi-Cal or serve to restrict access to care, either through the imposing of additional costs as a condition of receiving care, restricting medically necessary benefits, or shifting more populations into managed care where they would have limited access to care.
Defeat specific California Performance Review proposals
That would change eligibility rules that would deny some Californians access to care, or that would place barriers to the outreach, enrollment, or retention of Californians on public insurance programs.
Raise revenues
Work to raise revenues to sustainably fund public insurance programs into the future and to prevent cuts now and in subsequent years. Support budget proposals that increase revenues, including tax increases, preferably those that are progressive and fairly administered. This includes a return to the upper-income tax brackets that were in place during Governors Reagan and Wilson
Oppose “spending caps”
And other budget policies that would harm the ability of these health programs to meet the needs of Californians, or limit the flexibility of future policymakers to address the needs of their constituents.
Support efforts to bring in additional federal matching funds
For Medi-Cal and other health care programs. This includes lobbying for an extension of the state fiscal relief granted two years ago, which provided a supplemental reimbursement for the Federal Medicaid Assistance Program (FMAP) formula.
Oppose any block-granting of Medicaid
To cap or otherwise restrict the ability of Medicaid to meet the health care needs of Americans.
Oppose making the federal tax cuts permanent
And other fiscal policies that will deplete funding for the health care system.
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Preserving Access to Health Care