Katie Rodriguez, Interim President and CEO of the California Association of State Hospitals and Health Systems (CAPH), released the following statement in response to today’s release of a FY 2026-2027 state budget framework by the California State Senate:
“We thank the Senate for taking important steps to address the unprecedented fiscal crisis faced by California’s 17 public hospital systems and the children, families, and seniors who depend on them. In the aftermath of destabilizing federal health care cuts, state funding for public hospital systems must be prioritized so that already-disadvantaged Californians can continue to access critical health services.
“We are encouraged to see state leaders pursue solutions to avoid making a very bad situation worse. In particular, we support the proposal to preserve access to Medi-Cal for assylees, to delay the imposition of new Medi-Cal premiums for immigrants and cuts in how California’s public hospital systems are compensated by the state for providing vital health care services. We are also encouraged by the Senate’s goal to direct funding into stabilizing Medi-Cal and struggling hospitals – a goal we hope is shared by Governor Newsom and Assemblymembers.
“Ultimately, a state budget is an expression of values and more work must be done to preserve equitable health care access in California. By slashing billions of dollars, H.R.1 will put more strain on our safety net while shifting costs to the state and counties to provide access to emergency services, labor and delivery units, and other critical care. We need to fill this funding gap or these services are at risk. California needs to keep as many people on coverage as possible and fund not only our public hospital systems, but also the care that those individuals without coverage will need. CAPH looks forward to working with the Administration and Legislature to ensure public hospital systems can continue to serve as strong pillars for California’s health care safety net.”
# # #
Statement Attributable to:
Katie Rodriguez
Interim President and CEO, CAPH