People in the state’s health industry, from advocates to clinic directors, were left reeling by the new CBO report, which estimated the Senate Republican health plan would create an additional 22 million uninsured Americans by 2026.
“Nowhere are the dangers greater than in California, where our Medicaid program (Medi-Cal) covers more than one in three state residents,” said Sandra R. Hernández, president and CEO of the California Health Care Foundation.
The Republican bill would radically cut federal funding for Medicaid, even more deeply than what was proposed in the House bill. It would also decrease subsidies for Americans who buy their own insurance on Covered California, but that’s a smaller group, about 1.7 million residents, compared to the 13.5 million residents covered by Medi-Cal.
“More Californians will likely delay or defer necessary care, and when they show up at clinics and emergency rooms, they will likely be sicker and costlier to treat,” Hernandez predicted.
“States, communities, and families will be forced to make unthinkable choices about providing necessary care for their loved ones," she added.