Valley health leaders raise concerns over cuts to Medicaid

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Leaders astatine United Health Centers are sounding the alarm astir cuts to Medicaid successful the coming years.

"Medicaid is much than conscionable insurance; it is simply a lifeline that allows america to diagnose, treat, and forestall disease," said Dr. Sharareh Shabafrooz, United Health Centers Associate Medical Director.

Alongside Congressman Jim Costa, they advocated for backing to beryllium restored to Medicaid programs, aft much than 1 trillion dollars successful backing was chopped implicit the adjacent 10 years arsenic portion of the alleged Big Beautiful Bill.

The United Health Centers CEO said astir 70 percent of their patients are connected the Medi-Cal program.

"In the San Joaquin Valley, we look monolithic supplier shortages and we person a precise constricted healthcare infrastructure," said Justin Preas, United Health Centers CEO. "So immoderate cut, cuts to the Medi-Cal program, is conscionable devastating. I tin already archer you we're trying to bash a batch with not enough."

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Dr. Shabafrooz believes those cuts wouldn't conscionable interaction those who beryllium connected Medi-Cal.

"When patients hold attraction due to the fact that they can't spend it, their conditions worsen, and yet it costs the wellness systems more, and this volition interaction each of us," said Shabafrooz.

Republican Congressman Vince Fong was not disposable connected Wednesday, but antecedently said the changes to Medicaid successful the enactment would guarantee national taxation dollars were not utilized to supply aesculapian benefits to immigrants without ineligible presumption and puts into spot a sensible enactment requirement.

However, successful an effort to chopped spending, past month, Governor Gavin Newsom froze caller Medi-Cal applications for "certain adults who are undocumented and bash not person a satisfactory migration presumption for national afloat scope Medi-Cal," starting successful 2026.

Costa said backing for Medicaid volition request to beryllium addressed successful the budget. He besides pointed to authorities introduced successful the Senate by Republican Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri. It proposes to repeal immoderate of the precocious passed reductions successful Medicaid funding, arsenic good arsenic summation the Rural Health Transformation Fund from $50 cardinal to $100 cardinal and widen the duration of the money from 5 to 10 years. That money was established successful the enactment amid concerns for agrarian hospitals crossed the country.

Cuts to Medicaid wouldn't statesman until adjacent year, truthful aesculapian professionals accidental if you're acrophobic astir losing coverage, you should question retired immoderate preventive healthcare now.

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