Medi-Cal Payment Cuts Common Element of Three Budget Proposals
Budget proposals offered by Republicans, Democrats and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) all seek to bridge the state's budget deficit partly by reducing Medi-Cal payment rates to health care providers, the Sacramento Bee reports. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program.
Gov. Schwarzenegger expects savings of about $500 million in savings under its proposal to cut Medi-Cal provider rates, while Democratic lawmakers' Medi-Cal payment cuts are projected to save $302 million.
Republican legislators call for $392 million in Medi-Cal payment cuts. Republican lawmakers also propose reducing Medi-Cal services for undocumented immigrants and documented immigrants who have been in the country less than five years for $87 million in savings.
Republican legislators propose requiring undocumented immigrants to verify their Medi-Cal eligibility monthly, projecting that the change would save $42 million.
In addition to health care, the Bee highlights the three budget proposals' provisions dealing with taxes, education, prisons and other issues (Smith, Sacramento Bee, 9/11).
On Wednesday, NPR's "All Things Considered" included a report detailing how the budget deadlock in California is affecting education and health care services (Grigsby Bates, "All Things Considered," NPR, 9/10).
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