Human rights advocates rallied Thursday in San Diego as part of a statewide effort to prevent Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed cuts to healthcare coverage for low-income Californians, known as Medi-Cal.
“These cuts aren't just a temporary fix to a difficult budget season. They represent a moral failing, one that can take years, if not decades, to recover from,” said Nicole Lillie, executive director of the San Diego-based youth advocacy nonprofit Our Time to Act.
The governor’s budget proposed several changes to healthcare coverage, including excluding undocumented immigrants, including refugees, asylum-seekers and survivors of violence, from most health care services. For example, the policy proposes cutting dental care as a covered benefit and imposing $50 monthly premiums.
It would also significantly cut asset limits. When people apply for coverage, the state checks what they own that has value. The current limit is $130,000, but the proposed budget suggests lowering it to $2,000 for seniors and adults with disabilities.
Michelle Krug, a San Diego resident and member of the California Alliance of Retired Americans, said the lower limits would force people to spend their emergency savings.
“Seniors (who are) disabled, on a fixed income, if we have $2,000 that we're trying to save, for example, to fix a leak in our own our roof or pay or repair on a car, and then we suddenly are not eligible for health care or don't get health care that winds up affecting every other part of our life,” she said.
Newsom has argued that the cuts are necessary due to a looming multi-billion-dollar state deficit. At a news conference announcing updates to the proposed budget last month, he said California has done more than other states to help undocumented immigrants but that deciding to slash expensive services is “called reality. It's called math.”
The Legislative Analyst’s Office estimated that Medi-Cal spending reached an all-time high of $200 billion during the 2025-26 fiscal year budget.
Medi-Cal, the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program, enrolls more than 14 million Californians. According to data from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the UC Berkeley Labor Center, about 210,000 recipients in San Diego County could lose their health care coverage if the changes are adopted.
In San Diego, the rally took place outside state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson’s Office.
“Our state leaders have a choice ahead of them this June,” Lillie said. “Right now is their chance to put the state’s money where our morals are. Now is a chance to say no to cuts to our healthcare.”
In a statement, Weber Pierson, a physician-turned lawmaker, said, in part, that she understood access to Medi-Cal is fundamental to Californians, especially the most vulnerable communities.
“As budget negotiations continue, I am focused on ensuring that we protect access to care, maintain stability in coverage, and try to avoid policies that would create new barriers for patients who are already medically vulnerable,” she said.
Lawmakers have until June 15 to agree on a budget and begin final negotiations with the governor. The new fiscal year begins July 1.
