California voters have deleted a plan to hold children insured by Medi-Cal

Each year, nearly 400,000 children with Medi-Cal Health insurance loses coverage for a certain period of time and then must re -enroll. Often they still qualify for public subsidized health care, but are kicked out due to administrative errors or lost documents. Sometimes their families miss the income interruption by several hundred dollars in a few months.

This is a problem, the defenders say as early childhood comes with many vital health inspections, vaccinations and development examinations. Without them, children are at risk of lagging behind linguistic development and social behavior or lacking early detection of diseases.

California tried to close this difference in the coverage in last year’s budget but a November Voting Initiative I deleted this investment even As it improves payments to doctors, clinics and hospitals that serve low -income households.

Now the children’s defenders are asking the governor Gavin Newo to try again and to provide money for all low-income children to remain on Medi-Cal without renewal requirements until the age of 5-but they admit that it may be too late.

The Federal Government must approve the California Media-Call costs in this way, but the Trump Administration Executive Order on Federal Costs and Financing Financing Says Signal the Intention to Make Deep abbreviations of various social security programsS

However, defenders say they are moving forward with their request for Newsom.

“This is a clear opportunity to deal with systemic barriers that impede the access of Medi-Cal,” said Meira Alvarez, President of the Personal Partnership, the organization that leads the request for funding.

Throughout the country, about 56% of all children rely on Medi-Cal insurance.

Last year, in the midst of a multi -billion -dollar deficit, Newsom and State legislators agreed to spend $ 33 million in financing the program starting in 2026. The money will be drawn from one of the only increasing revenue available to the state during a difficult year, A special tax on health insurance plans that helps to fund Medi-Cal.

But the bill NEWSOM signed I had a catch. It provides that if voters have accepted a vote measure to invest a majority From the money for health insurance tax to increase payment for Medi-Cal doctors, then continuous coverage and other investments made by lawmakers in the state budget will not be funded.

The voting measure went with a huge 68% of the vote.

Proponents also claim and voters agreed that nearly $ 7 billion raised from the health insurance tax annually should be used to increase the expansion of the state and frequently healed public health insurance program. Wage increasing would encourage more doctors and clinics to admit patients with Medi-Cal, supporters say.

This time, the defenders are less sure that the state will be able to spend money on continuous coverage for children, even if legislators agree to fund it.

Early Congress Budget Discussions show that GOP government -controlled significantly reduce the cost of MedicaidS Medi-Cal is the California version of the Medicaid Federal Program.

California can’t go alone on Medi-Cal Change

California will need to refuse the Trump administration to use the money from the health insurance tax in the way lawyers want.

“Our plan as a coalition is to continue to move forward and to request that the funding be allocated and the refusal to be presented,” said Courtney Armstrong, director of governmental issues for the first 5 California Association. “I do not know what is the likelihood of giving up the refusal or not. Obviously, in the context of more Medicaid threats. Potentially (Trump’s administration) is subject to the argument that children need access to health coverage. “

Defenders were pressing the state last year to apply for a refusal to invest in the program before President Joe Biden left office, but the Ministry of Health stopped pursuing the issue after the vote measure went in November.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Health without financing, he can no longer pursue a refusal request.

“The transition of a proposal 35 makes the non -working continuous coverage for children up to 4 years of age,” as legislators were allowed last year, “Health Services said in a statement.

Medi-Cal children are vulnerable

Suppliers who serve patients with Medi-Cal say that preventing children from losing health insurance is critically important in their early years. Children need regular pediatric checks and subsequent care. When they lose insurance, even temporarily, doctors and insurers also lose the opportunity to track and make sure they receive services on time and do not miss critical control points.

“This is only the most vulnerable population we serve,” says Michael Hun, CEO of Caloptima Health, the largest Medi-Cal plan in Orange County. “We appreciate and strongly recommend this continuous coverage because of what means to determine the health trajectory of a person from a little on.”

Caloptima serves nearly 74,000 children aged 0 to 5 years and covers about 6,000 births each year, Hun said.

“What most bothers me this change in continuous admissibility is that parents will have to make a choice between medical help to their child and rent or food, and this is a very difficult place to put a family,” Hun said.

For several years, during the federal emergency case, Covid-19 admissibility inspections were paused throughout the country. During this time the percentage of Children who “kill” on and outside Medi-Cal Within a year he dropped from 7.5% to 1%, according to the childhood partnership, the group that runs the ASK budget. When the federal emergency situation ended, the percentages returned.

“The writing was on the wall that this type of policy could avoid any child between 0 and 5, losing their care,” Alvarez said with a child partnership.

One of the most common reasons why people lose coverage of Medi-Cal is that their income exceeds the $ 200 interruption, sometimes even less than $ 100, said Georgina Maldonado, CEO of the Community Health Initiative Orange County, a non-profit purpose that helps people apply for Medi-Cal and other social services.

“The federal poverty level is not realistic for those who reside in California,” Maldonado said.

Supported by the California Foundation for Health (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the necessary care when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.