Wonky Hospital Fee Initiative Has Roots In State’s 2012 Budget Crisis
The proposition would stop lawmakers from changing the allocation of funds raised from hospitals primarily to contribute to Medi-Cal. Those funds trigger a federal contribution that helps the hospitals, but in past budget crunches, state officials used the money for other purposes.
Los Angeles Times:
California's 2012 Budget Crisis Sparked Prop. 52, A Measure To Generate Money For Medi-Cal
Californians wading through the long list of statewide ballot measures on Nov. 8 may wonder why they are being asked to weigh in on Proposition 52, a wonky measure to generate money for Medi-Cal, the state’s subsidized healthcare program for the poor. The answer dates back to a state budget crisis in 2012. “What really triggered it for us was going through that economic downturn,” said Anne McLeod, a senior vice president at the California Hospital Assn. “When the people needed the program the most, that’s when the state dipped in and took more. That’s when we knew we had to stop that.” (Bollag, 10/5)