The Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC) Statement on the Governor’s 2024 May Budget Revision
The Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC) applauds the Governor’s commitment to maintain Health4All expansions but urges leaders to maintain investments that keep California on track to become a more health-equitable state.
(Sacramento, CA) Today, Governor Newsom released his 2024-2025 May revision to the budget. We appreciate the Governor’s continued support for access to healthcare regardless of immigration status or age within Medi-Cal. However, his May revision proposal otherwise puts Latine and communities of color at risk by delaying and reducing crucial funding for public health and other safety net programs. In the face of an ongoing budget deficit, communities of color will be the first to suffer the consequences of limited resources. It is unacceptable for California, the world’s 5th largest economy, to allow reductions that will only increase poverty and negative health outcomes. In 2021, the CalFresh Program kept 1 million people out of poverty, many of whom are Latine. Safety net programs have proven to reduce poverty in regions like Los Angeles, the Central Valley, and the Bay Area. LCHC encourages the Administration to continue to prioritize programs that ensure health equity and to consider proposals that will strengthen health equity in the future.
In the face of these fiscal challenges, the Governor’s budget threatens many of the hard-fought safety-net programs that expand access to healthcare and for those who need it most,” said Dr. Seciah Aquino, Executive Director for the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, “Our communities are facing a perfect storm of safety-net rollbacks; from the ongoing Medi-Cal unwinding crisis to this chipping away of life-saving programs for low-income and aging undocumented individuals, we can expect the impacts to be widely felt. This budget is not reflective of a post-pandemic California striving toward health equity. This is the time to protect our progress and protect our legacy of equity.”
Cuts and delays push back our progress. California must continue to lead the nation by prioritizing and maintaining investments in health programs and services that keep our communities healthy and protect Californians. We are pleased to see the Health4All Medi-Cal investments protected, but the Governor’s May revision must reinstate the following priorities that align with LCHC’s legislative agenda to achieve health equity for Latine and Indigenous communities:
- Continue to support continuous, uninterrupted Medi-Cal coverage for children 0-4 to ensure a healthy foundation for California’s children
- Reinstate In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) for Undocumented Individuals within Medi-Cal, especially in light of the recent Medi-Cal expansion and an increase of older adults accessing coverage.
- Community Health Workers and Promotoras (CHWPs) – Reinstate full FY 22-23 allocated funding for training and certification of promotora, community health worker, and representative workforce in California
- Food4All – no delays to the implementation of California Food Assistance Program (CFAP) for adults 55+ regardless of immigration status
- Reinstate Public Health funding for local health jurisdictions
We look forward to working with the Governor, the Legislature and Administration to protect Californians despite a challenging fiscal environment.
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About LCHC:
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC)— is the leading statewide policy organization with a specific emphasis on Latine health. For over 30 years, LCHC has worked on transforming systems to achieve Latine health justice. We pride ourselves in translating community solutions into equitable policy and lasting change. Our work focuses on legislative and administrative advocacy, people power and narrative change.
