Medi-Cal is in crisis

Assemblymember Marie Waldron

Last June, the legislature approved a budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year. Though it was an improvement over past budgets, I voted "no" for a number of reasons, including the continuing failure to adequately compensate Medi-Cal providers.

In 2011, when California was bleeding red ink, Medi-Cal provider rates were cut by up to 10 percent. These cuts proved financially devastating to healthcare providers throughout California, including some in this region. In addition, many doctors were forced to limit the number of Medi-Cal patients they see.

Since then, California’s finances have improved and these cuts should have been restored. But that’s not the path that was chosen last year. Instead, even though spending was increased by $12 billion, the budget still failed to increase Medi-Cal provider rates.

According to recent reports, the already overwhelmed Medi-Cal system has added 2.7 million new enrollees since October 2013. Studies have already shown that Medi-Cal beneficiaries are having increasing difficulty finding health care providers who will accept their insurance. Obviously, adding millions of new Medi-Cal members does not provide real coverage unless they can actually see a doctor. Failure to adequately reimburse healthcare facilities and doctors who treat this expanding pool of patients is a huge mistake.

On March 4, I participated in a joint hearing of the Assembly and Senate Health Committees to examine this ongoing public health crisis. It is my hope that this situation will be corrected during budget discussions later this year so that our most vulnerable citizens can actually receive the care they’ve been promised.