Medi-Cal

Lower-income people will be the hardest hit. Over the next 10 years, 3.4 million Californians could lose coverage.

One of the most powerful political blocs in California, the Latino Caucus had to balance reining in Medi-Cal's rising costs with helping undocumented immigrants. All but four overcame their misgivings and voted to freeze new enrollment and make other cuts to immigrant health insurance.

Glenn County's only hospital may be forced to close because a federal agency is removing its "critical access" designation. Patients would have longer waits for ambulances and longer drives for emergency care.

Fear of immigration raids is driving Southern California patients to cancel health care. A third of medical appointments and half of dental appointments at St. John’s 28 clinics were cancelled this week.

The California Legislature has rejected many of the spending cuts Gov. Gavin Newsom is seeking to close a $12 billion budget deficit, relying on internal borrowing to put off difficult decisions.

Legislators, cutting $3.5 billion in overall funding, endorsed a freeze on state health care for undocumented immigrants but want lower premiums and other changes In Newsom's proposal. Democrats are divided.

Many undocumented immigrants have long feared that their Medi-Cal data would be used against them. Newsom calls it "an abuse."

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed major cuts to Medi-Cal and other social programs to close a $12 billion deficit. Democrats in the state Legislature are pushing back, proposing more borrowing.

Gov. Gavin Newsom estimated there's a nearly $20 billion hole in the budget, but if lawmakers restore his Medi-Cal cuts the hole could grow $10 billion larger.

A proposal in Congress would require some adults to document 80 hours a month of work or school. Experts say the red tape and paperwork is so cumbersome that even people who work will lose their health insurance.