Riverside County Supervisors Adopt Resolution In Support Of Medicaid Funding

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors last week unanimously adopted a resolution in support of Medicaid funding, known in California as Medi-Cal.

“The proposed $800 billion cut to Medicaid would result in an estimated $300 million loss to Riverside University Health System,” Supervisor Chuck Washington said at the May 6 meeting. “The $300 million loss to RUHS represents 20% of its total budget.”

According to Washington, cuts of that nature would force the county to reduce the number of available hospital beds by 20%, dramatically impacting access to care across the county.

“We have a right to ask respectfully that those cuts not take place, and that those who are proposing those cuts — who said that they would not actually be proposing those cuts — do so with the citizens of our county, our state and our nation in mind and the harm that will come to them,” Washington said.

According to the California Department of Health Care Services, more than 1 million residents of Riverside County were enrolled in Medi-Cal as of March of this year, the latest data available, or more than 40% of the population. The largest populations served by Medi-Cal in Riverside County are those under the age of 1 and adults between the ages of 19 and 64.

Dr. Alexandra Clark, chief medical officer for Riverside University Health System – Medical Center, said that many of the patients seen by RUHS depend on Medi-Cal to access vital primary and preventive care as well as daily acute care and chronic disease management.

“As a safety-net hospital, we would be especially affected by proposed cuts because the majority of our patients are actually receiving their care via Medi-Cal,” Clark said, noting that cuts to Medicaid would have rippled effects that would impact everyone, including those with private insurance. “Additionally, as the board is keenly aware, RUHS-ER is a very high volume emergency room with the highest volume of ambulance offloads. As a trauma center, we take care of all patients in need in their most vulnerable moments.”

The resolution not only opposes any cuts to the federal Medicaid system, which provides critical funding to Medi-Cal, but also calls on all members of Congress to vote against any budget that includes such cuts while also affirming the county’s commitment to advocating for continued funding, directing county staff to engage with state and federal officials to advocate for the protection of Medi-Cal funding and ensuring that the county will continue working with local healthcare providers, advocacy groups and community organizations to ensure equitable access to healthcare for all Riverside County residents.

“Reduction in Medi-Cal funding could lead also to hospital and clinic closures, longer wait times and decreased access to preventive and primary care services,” Supervisor Jose Medina, who cosponsored the resolution, said. “Again, I very much oppose any cuts to the Medicaid system, and I’m very proud again to be a signature to this proclamation, and have had, recently, conversations with our Congressman Mark Takano on the importance of maintaining healthcare and Medicaid here in Riverside County and the state of California.”

Of the three residents who spoke at the meeting, two were certified nurse assistants who spoke in support of the resolution and highlighted the impact federal cuts to Medicaid would have on the health of the community. The final speaker, Roy Bleckert, said he felt the board should focus its discussions on how to prepare for the proposed cuts instead of adopting a resolution against them.

“We can wish [cuts] wouldn’t happen, I wish they wouldn’t happen, but we know they’re happening,” Bleckert said. “So, again, we should be preparing for that instead of giving people false hope.”

In other board action: The Riverside County Board of Supervisors also unanimously voted to introduce an amended ordinance updating the military equipment use policy for the sheriff’s department and the district attorney’s office and also received an inventory of existing equipment from both entities. The amended ordinance did not include any additional equipment purchases, and will come back before the board for final approval at a future meeting.