California health programs lose billions in federal funds

(The Center Square) – Billions of dollars have been cut from California’s public health programs because of federal budget cuts, state health officials told lawmakers on Tuesday afternoon. California state senators and Assembly members heard from officials about the impacts of federal budget cuts on health care programs, including Medi-Cal, during a joint committee hearing at the Capitol. “The rollback of federal policies risks reversing hard-won progress,” Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Oakland and chair of the Assembly Health Committee, said at the outset of the Sacramento hearing. “For many Californians, accessibility and affordability was already in question. More than half of Californians are worried about out-of-pocket expenses, long-term care and monthly premiums, concerns that now surpass anxiety about housing, groceries, transportation and utilities.” During the hearing, officials from state and private health organizations told leg