The Daily Delegate

By: Yana Varnum

As many of you know very well, life in California is very expensive, especially when compared to other states. So, it might be surprising to find that Medi-Cal eligibility is based on the overall U.S. Poverty Line (the estimated minimum level of income needed to live) rather than individual state lines. Thus, one could be living in significant poverty, but yet not eligible for Medi-Cal. Through the bill created by Senate Healthcare 1, medical regulations would be altered in order to make Medi-Cal more accessible to low income Californians. This bill, if passed, would be very significant as in order to qualify for Medi-Cal currently, one person must make a maximum of $21,597 annually, yet residents making up to $104,700 annually and living in San Francisco, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz, are actually considered low income. This means that Medi-Cal is actually not bringing differing costs of living into consideration, thus not covering those who are circumstantially low income. This bill does not come without its controversies, including but not limited to: higher state and federal costs, the potential for increased medical debt for those just above new limits, reduced access for those just above the poverty line, and a lack of Medi-Cal funding. I support this bill as if passed, it would fix coverage gaps, high uninsured rates, and improve the amounts of poor health outcomes in low income communities. Overall, as the UC Berkeley School of Public Health stated, a healthier, insured population, results in a higher income and better financial health.