The California legislature will return to Sacramento next week to grapple with yet another multi-billion dollar budget deficit. Community clinic operators are hoping lawmakers won't ask for more healthcare cuts. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg has the story.
The budget the governor signed last month contained more than seven billion dollars in cuts. Some safety net program like Medi-Cal had to share in the pain.
Tracy Ream directs Neighborhood Healthcare, which runs eleven community clinics in the San Diego area. She says any further Medi-Cal cuts would put a lot of pressure on healthcare providers.
Tracy Ream: We're already seeing more people who've lost their jobs, they on't have health insurance now, they're coming to the health center. So it's scary, I think, for everyone who's involved in direct services.
Medi-Cal is the state's second largest expenditure after education. Some believe if lawmakers can't agree on new taxes, Medi-Cal could be a prime target.
Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
