An unlikely coalition has formed to try to stop cuts to California’s Medi-Cal program. Medical groups, insurers, physicians and a union support a bill to reverse a ten percent cut to provider rates in a state budget from two years ago. They said payments in Medi-Cal are already barebones, and the program needs strong footing to accept more people under the Affordable Care Act next year.
“Anytime you’re cutting health care, sometimes those costs and expenses show up in other areas. I think that this is the appropriate time to start restoring some of those cuts,” said Republican Assemblymember Brian Maienshein.
But H.D Palmer with the California Department of Finance said any surplus the state has now may not exist next year, and may go in part to education.
“So we have to be very prudent in terms of what we’re doing with the budget, and we can’t unwind or undo a lot of the reductions that we’ve done in the past if we’re going to stay in balance,” Palmer said.
The Medi-Cal savings measure has been help up in courts, but could take effect as early as June.
