California Budget Agreement Provides
Major New Opportunities to Cover the Uninsured
The Governor and State Legislators have agreed to fund new coverage opportunities for the uninsured. Premium assistance through Covered California will be available to individuals and families with incomes up to 600% of the Federal Poverty Level -- $154,500 for a family of four, $75,000 for an individual. Seventy five percent of the funding will be used for individuals and families between 400 and 600% of FPL. This will also provide additional premium assistance to individuals with incomes between 250 and 400% of FPL. This totals about $450 million over a three-year period. It will be primarily funded by reinstituting (at the state level) tax penalties for those individuals who can afford coverage, but decide to forego it until they need it.
Medi-Cal eligibility will be extended to very low income undocumented adults ages 19-25. This will build on California’s coverage for undocumented children and cover about 90,000 individuals at a cost of $95 million in the 2019-20 budget year. https://www.npr.org/2019/06/10/731311422/californias-budget-proposal-would-expand-health-care-to-some-undocumented-immigr
Congratulations Governor Newsom and the state legislature. The Governor has until June 30 to sign it.
References: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/california-gavin-newsom-health-care-aca_n_5cff45ade4b06d839dc4103f and http://www.capradio.org/articles/2019/06/09/california-budget-moves-toward-final-votes-with-new-spending-on-health-care-and-preschool/ and Myers, California Lawmakers Send Newson a State Budget Blueprint, but Negotiations Continue, LA Times (6/13/19)
Prepared by: Lucien Wulsin
Dated: 6/11/19