Following CalMatters’ report that Governor Newsom’s Administration failed to submit a proposal to draw down millions in federal funding for Medi-Cal patients, Assemblywoman Alexandra M. Macedo sent him the following letter:
April 21, 2025
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Governor Newsom:
Your Administration missed a critical deadline – on March 31 – to obtain millions in federal dollars to cover increased health care access for Medi-Cal patients, according to CalMatters and testimonies by Administration officials before the Legislature.
State funding was not maximized with federal dollars to support Californians who need our help the most.
Missing the deadline to submit a State Plan Amendment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that is necessary for most Medi-Cal rate adjustments means that, for the first quarter of the year, doctors and hospitals may not get the rate increases promised by Proposition 35, a ballot measure passed by 68% of California voters in November.
It also means that California may have lost federal matching dollars intended to boost the Medi-Cal program during the first quarter of 2025. This will have a significant impact on the ability of our constituents – and all Californian’s relying on Medi-Cal – to get the access to care they need. It also means that the doctors and hospitals providing this critical care will continue to be challenged by unreasonably low reimbursement rates.
Rural communities are health care deserts that have higher poverty rates and large populations of people of color. Fifty-seven percent of the Central Valley’s population is Hispanic/Latino. Forty-five percent of our residents live on an income that is 200% below the federal poverty level (approx. $31,000 per year). This is a dramatically larger number than the state’s rate of 30%. Central Valley residents do not have adequate access to health care. With low reimbursement rates, providers cannot afford to practice in remote communities.
Residents living in poverty and those in rural communities deserve your attention.
On behalf of the millions of Medi-Cal patients, I ask you, as Governor, to provide a Proposition 35 implementation plan to ensure that the will of the voters is followed, and that the poor and most vulnerable will have access to the medical services that you have promised them year after year.
Time is of the essence. When will you be submitting your proposal to the federal government for approval? It would be tragic to miss out on funding that should be available to improve access to health care in our communities during 2024-25 Fiscal Year by failing to act now.
Sincerely,
Alexandra M. Macedo
Assemblywoman, 33rd District
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Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo represents the 33rd Assembly District, which encompasses Tulare, Kings, and Fresno Counties.