The Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services
heard a $1 billion State General Fund proposal to help increase
the affordability and quality of health care for low-income
Californians. The proposal was submitted earlier this week by the
co-chairs of the Select Committee on Health Care Delivery Systems
and Coverage, Assembly Members Dr. Joaquin Arambula and Dr. Jim
Wood. The proposal includes:
$300 million to provide enhanced premium assistance to
low-income individuals and families enrolled in Covered
California
$200-$250 million to establish a refundable tax credit for
people with income levels between 400% and 600% of the federal
poverty level for enrollees in the individual market
$250 million to extend Medi-Cal to young adults (between
19-25 years old) who currently meet income-qualifications for
Medi-Cal, regardless of immigration status
$26 million to streamline Medi-Cal eligibility to uninsured
children and pregnant women who are enrolling in the Women,
Infant and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) via “WIC Express Lane
Eligibility”
$30 million to increase Medi-Cal eligibility to 138% of the
federal poverty level for low-income seniors and those who are
disabled, which is the same level as for the rest of the Medi-Cal
adult population
$24 million to extend Transitional Medi-Cal from 6 months to
12 months
$50 million to establish an all-payer payments database to
obtain information on payments made for health care services
$84 million to expand Song Brown and other OSHPD health care
workforce programs for multiple years
$30 million to expand the UC Programs in Medical Education
program over three years
