CPEHN applauds the Governor’s renewed commitment to expand health care to California’s undocumented children but urges greater investment in the health of communities of color broadly given the projected $3.6 billion surplus.
On Thursday, January 7th, Governor Jerry Brown released his proposed FY 2016-17 state budget, which includes modest increases in Medi-Cal and other safety-net programs. We are elated to see that the Governor’s proposal maintains the state’s prior commitment to expand full-scope Medi-Cal to undocumented children starting on May 1, 2016. Additionally, we applaud the Governor’s tax revenue proposal to extend the Managed Care Tax (MCO), which is set to expire in 2016. The tax proposal, pending negotiations between the Governor and health plans, will provide $1.1 billion in state funding to help defray the cost of the In-Home Supportive Services program (IHSS) and other health care services. The 2016-17 budget also includes a small increase in SSI/SSP grants for seniors and persons with disabilities, the first increase since 2006.
With a large projected revenue surplus, however, the budget proposal misses important opportunities to invest in the health of California’s new majority, communities of color. The budget, for example, does not seek to restore dental benefits or concretely address the lack of comprehensive health care coverage for undocumented adults. Further, the $3.2 billion in additional revenues for transportation will primarily fund repaving roads and expanding trade corridors rather than expanding funding for active transportation to positively impact climate change and public health. We also urge the elimination of the Maximum Family Grant (MFG) in the CalWORKs program, which unfairly denies financial support to babies born while their families are receiving grants.
As a state we must be prudent with our funding but that also means making key investments in the health and well-being of the people of California. CPEHN will continue to monitor and weigh-in on the Governor’s proposed budget to ensure the state is adequately prioritizing the health of our most vulnerable communities. For more details on the state budget, visit our website.