A top local public health official blamed the recent closing of a hospital in Madera county on the health system being overwhelmed by the pioneering expansion of Medi-Cal which gave access to low-income, immigrant people. A social researcher disagrees.

TUESDAY, JUNE 4
PROGRAM #10396 11:00 AM PT

Extra Edition: Is Medi-Cal Expansion Bankrupting Hospitals? (Program Repeat). A top local public health official blamed the recent closing of a hospital in Madera county on the health system being overwhelmed by the pioneering expansion of Medi-Cal which gave access to low-income, immigrant people. A social researcher called this assertion a case of dangerous misinformation. This is the first discussion on this story. This archival program was originally aired on May 28, 2024.

Guest: Gilda Zárate González, PhD, MPH, Faculty Lecturer and Researcher, UC Merced, Fresno, CA.

Health Insurance Subsidies to All. A new bill in Sacramento would allow undocumented immigrants to enroll in health plans through a new program that basically mirrors what is currently on the health insurance exchange, called Covered CA, but doesn’t involve federal money. The measure plans to include state-funded subsidies for those plans at some point in the future. What’s the road ahead for this bill?

Guest: María Lemus, District Director Office of Assemblymember Joaquín Arámbula, Fresno, CA.

Photo: Erik Mclean via Unsplash

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