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Becerra’s insurance test
Democrat Xavier Becerra, campaigning for governor of California against Republican Steve Hilton, faces what LAist describes as "the steepest decline in health insurance coverage in a generation" if he wins in November.
“the steepest decline in health insurance coverage in a generation”
The LAist report says that by 2030 the number of uninsured Californians under 65 is expected to nearly double from 2.4 million to 4.6 million as recently enacted state and federal cuts to Medicaid and ACA marketplaces begin to roll back historic gains.
NPR similarly frames the race around a looming coverage drop, saying the number of uninsured Californians under 65 is expected to nearly double from 2.4 million to 4.6 million by 2030.
Both outlets tie the projected uninsured increase to federal cuts and the rollback of coverage gains tied to Medicaid and ACA marketplaces, placing the issue at the center of Becerra’s campaign for California governor.
Triage and job losses
NPR reports that in February Miranda Dietz, the labor center's healthcare program director, told legislators the changes could end up costing California about 200,000 jobs, mostly in the healthcare industry.
Jessica Altman, executive director of Covered California, is quoted by NPR saying, "It's triage," and the outlet adds that is what the next governor is walking into.
LAist likewise quotes Altman, saying "That's what the next governor is walking into," as hospital executives have begun reporting more unpaid medical bills.
LAist adds that experts warn health plans will raise premiums further as they are left with enrollees who are, on average, sicker and more expensive to cover, sharpening the stakes for California’s health system.
Promises vs. cuts
NPR says Becerra would issue an executive order to keep those affected by federal cuts insured, but it also notes he has not detailed how the state would backfill as much as $30 billion in federal funding California stands to lose annually.
“$30 billion in federal funding California stands to lose annually”
At a policy forum hosted by Politico this month, LAist quotes Becerra promising he would push the industry to eliminate waste from "attorneys, accountants, pencil pushers" that cost consumers billions.
NPR reports that Becerra said, "I'm going to ask them to help me extract some of that waste and put it into healthcare, which helps us cover the cost of keeping Californians insured," positioning the plan as a way to preserve coverage.
In contrast, NPR quotes Steve Hilton in an interview saying, "The quickest thing we can do on healthcare costs is actually to tax people less," setting up a direct policy clash over how to respond to the projected coverage decline.