Officials Say Proposed Cuts to Medi-Cal Have Ripple Effects
To help address California's budget deficit, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) has proposed reducing Medi-Cal payments to health care providers and establishing copayments for visits to physicians and hospitals. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program. Officials and experts warn that if the proposed cuts take effect, health care providers might refuse to see Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Medi-Cal patients then might seek care at emergency departments and consequently raise costs for hospitals.
- "State Budget: Brown's Medi-Cal Plan Questioned" (Hines, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 3/9).