The Governor's Medicaid worries

image
Published: 23 Dec, 2009
1 min read

Although Governor Schwarzenegger is one of the very few Republicans supporting Democratic-led healthcare reform, he has issued a letter outlining a number of fiscal concerns to House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and the California congressional delegation.  With the golden state mired in yet another crushing budget deficit, here are his most pressing concerns:

1.  The bill would cost California $3-$4 billion a year in Medicaid expansion.

2.  The bill would reduce the state's flexibility in making much needed cuts in Medicaid, Medi-Cal, and other costly benefits.

3.  The state's Medicaid reimbursement rates are the lowest in the country.

4.  The Federal Government owes California back payments on Medicaid reimbursement due to past administrative errors.

While expressing his continued support for Obama's healthcare reform efforts, the Governor made it clear that California will not be able to shoulder the financial burden of the new bill's current stipulations.

 

You Might Also Like

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
The latest Independent Voter Podcast episode takes listeners through the messy intersections of politics, reform, and public perception. Chad and Cara open with the irony of partisan outrage over trivial issues like a White House ballroom while overlooking the deeper dysfunctions in our democracy. From California to Maine, they unpack how the very words on a ballot can tilt entire elections and how both major parties manipulate language and process to maintain power....
30 Oct, 2025
-
1 min read
California Prop 50 gets an F
Princeton Gerrymandering Project Gives California Prop 50 an 'F'
The special election for California Prop 50 wraps up November 4 and recent polling shows the odds strongly favor its passage. The measure suspends the state’s independent congressional map for a legislative gerrymander that Princeton grades as one of the worst in the nation....
30 Oct, 2025
-
3 min read
bucking party on gerrymandering
5 Politicians Bucking Their Party on Gerrymandering
Across the country, both parties are weighing whether to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia are all in various stages of the action. Here are five politicians who have declined to support redistricting efforts promoted by their own parties....
31 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read