California’s Health Care Tug‑of‑War

The governor of California is caught between two big fights. One side wants to keep every child and adult, no matter where they come from, covered by state health care. The other side worries that the budget is already tight and more spending could hurt the economy.

Newsom promised a future where everybody has guaranteed health care when he was elected. He almost made that promise real by expanding the state Medicaid program, Medi‑Cal, to cover all children and adults who qualify for aid. This move was praised by progressives who want universal coverage.

But the state now faces a budget crisis. Health care costs are climbing, and federal money that helps pay for Medi‑Cal is shrinking. To keep the budget balanced, Newsom has started to pull back on those expansions.

Key changes this year:

• The state stopped letting most adults without legal status join Medi‑Cal. Two years after they were allowed to, those people can no longer get the free health coverage that used to be available.
• In July, they will lose state dental help too. By next year, they will need to pay their own monthly premiums.
• Last month the governor suggested that about 200,000 legal immigrants who have lived in California for years might lose Medi‑Cal after September. The federal government will no longer fund them, so the state would have to pay the bills itself or cut the coverage.

Progressives say this is a betrayal of Newsom’s earlier promises. They argue that the governor is more worried about how other states or the national political scene will view him than about what California citizens need.

Republicans and fiscal conservatives criticize the same policy, calling Newsom a reckless spender who is giving free health care to people who do not have citizenship. They also point out that the federal government has accused California of “gaming” the system to get extra money for immigrant health services.

The debate shows how hard it is to balance a promise of universal health care with the reality of limited state money. The governor’s next moves will decide whether California stays true to its early pledge or takes a more cautious path.