Proposed Healthy Families Budget Cuts Puts Health Coverage for Nearly 900,000 Children At Risk

SACRAMENTO – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today unveiled a budget proposal for fiscal year 2010-2011 that makes drastic cuts to California’s Healthy Families and Medi-Cal programs, which currently provides affordable health coverage for nearly 4.5 million children.  In response to the Governor’s announcement, Peter Manzo, President and CEO of United Ways of California issued the following statement:

“Governor Schwarzenegger's proposal to eliminate the Healthy Families Program if an unlikely deal with Washington doesn’t materialize, is a reckless gamble, and demonstrates a shameful ducking of leadership.  These likely cuts would result in 875,000 children losing health coverage.  And the risky financial assumptions in the proposed budget also put the coverage of 3.5 million kids enrolled in the Medi-Cal program in jeopardy.

The Governor's overall budget proposal relies heavily on hoping to receive additional federal dollars to help address the state’s deficit, yet his decision to eliminate the Healthy Families program if other federal dollars do not materialize completely undermines that approach. By eliminating Healthy Families, California would leave approximately $800 million of federal funding on the table.

The Governor claims that the proposed budget puts children first, but that is disingenuous; it in fact puts the health and well-being of children dead last.  While the Governor touts his commitment to education, his proposed health coverage cuts mean children will have difficulty learning because of illness or long waits in the emergency room.  You can’t teach to an empty desk.  

We call on California lawmakers to make the choice any parent would - to truly make California’s children our first priority.  California's children need both health coverage and improved educational opportunity, now more than ever."