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Brown's New Budget Calls for State-Based Medi-Cal Expansion

Andrew Nixon
/
Capital Public Radio

 California Governor Jerry Brown’s revised budget proposal shows clear intent for a state-based Medi-Cal expansion under the Affordable Care Act. January’s budget suggested a possible county-led expansion.  

California Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley says the budget also proposes a way the state will seek to capture money counties currently use to treat the uninsured.   

“The mechanism is for capturing the savings so that the state doesn’t pay twice. The state pays about $1.5 billion annually to the counties for health care, some of which will no longer be an obligation of the counties because of the Affordable Care Act,” says Dooley.

The administration’s proposal involves counties taking on a larger financial share of other social programs like child care as the state is expected to absorb more health care costs.

Advocates say they want to make sure there are adequate protections for low-income people who benefit from the services.   

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