SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown's administration says key provisions of the Republican health overhaul bill in Congress would cost California $4.3 billion in 2020 and nearly $19 billion in a decade unless the state cuts back on health care benefits for the poor.
The state's first detailed analysis of the bill's impacts on Medi-Cal was released Wednesday, a day before the U.S. House is scheduled to vote on the GOP proposal to repeal elements of former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.
If the bill passes, Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer says lawmakers would eventually have to decide how much additional money to spend on Medi-Cal and whether to reduce costs.
Lawmakers can cut costs by covering fewer people, reducing their benefits or paying less to doctors and hospitals.
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