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New Budget Projects Almost A Third Of Californians Will Have Medi-Cal

Photo used under Creative Commons from Andy Patterson / Modern Relics
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/modernrelics/4461010654/

California Governor Jerry Brown’s new budget estimates that almost a third of the population of California will be enrolled in Medi-Cal during next fiscal year. Pauline Bartolone has more from Sacramento.

About 11.5 million Californians will get health care through Medi-Cal. That’s higher than what the Governor or state health planners anticipated. So the revised budget adds more than a billion dollars to account for the surge.

Anthony Wright of Health Access says he’s pleased the state expanded Medi-Cal under the Affordable Care Act.

Wright: “We think that this shows the need to invest in the program.”

But he’s concerned the new budget proposal doesn’t cancel a 10% cut in Medi-Cal provider rates.

Wright: “Those folks need access to doctors and specialists. With a low rate, that means that there’s a number of doctors who simply don’t take those patients.”

The California Medical Association says retaining Medi-Cal provider cuts in next year’s budget could have terrible consequences for the state’s lowest-income patients. 

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