Amidst Uncertain Health Care Landscape, State Budget Expected To Be Conservative
Implications for Medi-Cal and other health initiatives will be closely watched when Gov. Jerry Brown releases his budget next week.
Los Angeles Times:
California Voters Just Approved More Taxes, But The New State Budget Could Still Be Lean On Cash
Proposition 56 offers an intriguing test for 2016’s campaign rhetoric in light of current conditions. Although the measure specifically promises new tobacco tax revenues as a way to “increase funding” for healthcare services under the state’s Medi-Cal system, the program’s existing dollars could now be at risk. The net effect could be a smaller boost than the ballot measure’s proponents had hoped for. In fact, Medi-Cal’s reliance on federal dollars may be the most worrisome part of the budget year ahead, given its dramatic expansion with dollars provided by the Affordable Care Act. President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to repeal Obamacare could affect the more than 3.8 million Californians who have enrolled in Medi-Cal. (Myers, 1/6)