This post has been updated with the final vote count.
California voters have approved Proposition 52, a ballot measure that makes permanent a fee on hospitals that helps fund Medi-Cal, the state’s health insurance plan for low-income Californians.
The measure was proposed by hospitals, who spent more than $60 million to promote it. Dignity Health alone spent $8,478,390 to promote the proposition. With all precincts reporting, the measure passed 70-30 percent in unofficial results.
The fee currently draws $3.5 billion a year in federal matching funds. Hospitals say the fee system provides a major source of funding for Medi-Cal patients.
The fee system is routinely renewed by the Legislature but requires support from a two-thirds super-majority of lawmakers. Hospitals say permanently extending it ensures the funding source is protected from politics.