Laurel Lucia is deputy executive director of programs at the UC Berkeley Labor Center, where she has worked since 2009. She provides oversight for the Center’s programmatic work, including research, leadership development, and student programs.
In her previous role as director of the Health Care Program, Laurel’s research focused on health coverage and cost trends in California, and policies to improve access to and affordability of health care for California workers and their families. She served on consulting teams to Covered California, the California Department of Health Care Services, the Department of Social Services, and the Healthy California for All Commission. In 2021, she was appointed by Governor Newsom to serve on the California Long Term Care Insurance Task Force.
Previously, Laurel worked on issues affecting long term care workers during her time as a researcher/policy analyst for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). She has served as an elected officer for three unions.
Laurel received a Master of Public Policy degree from UC Berkeley.
California’s historic expansion of coverage to undocumented individuals has not only brought the state closer to universal coverage, but has also reduced racial disparities in health coverage. However, this progress is at risk due to a new state budget proposal that would curtail Medi-Cal benefits for certain immigrants, ahead of additional severe federal cuts to Medicaid being considered.
This page provides data on California health care employment by county and congressional district, including by sector and as a percentage of total employment, using estimates from IMPLAN input-output economic modeling software.
Republicans are considering major cuts to Medicaid to offset tax cuts. Depending on the specific mechanisms and timing for cutting Medicaid, California could expect to see between $10 billion and $20 billion fewer federal dollars per year coming to Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. These federal cuts would lead to significant job loss in health care and other sectors.
The onerous documentation needed with Medi-Cal work requirements would increase administrative costs and reduce enrollment and access to care, including for people who are already working or otherwise should be exempt.
This page provides the number and percentage of children and teens enrolled in Medi-Cal by county, congressional district, assembly district, and senate district, as of July 2024. These estimates reflect the district boundaries after the 2024 election
Laurel Lucia said the “red tape” created by the Republican megabill may make it more difficult for individuals to enroll and stay enrolled in Medi-Cal. “The people who are likely to lose coverage may still be eligible for Medi-Cal, but lose their insurance due to the paperwork burden,” Lucia said.
“This bill proposes the biggest cuts to Medicaid in the 60 year history of this program,” said Laurel Lucia. “Not only will Medi-Cal enrollees in San Francisco have to worry about their coverage, but hospitals, clinics and other health care providers could see cuts as a result of this bill.”
Medi-Cal is a critical component of one of the biggest sectors of Southern California’s economy: health care. An estimated 1.25 million residents of the four counties work in some area of health care, and more than 110,000 work in nursing homes or assisted living centers, according to an April report from economists at the UC Berkeley Labor Center.
According to the policy brief, released April 28, the federal cuts would not only threaten health care access for 15 million Californians currently enrolled in Medi-Cal, but would also lead to the loss of health care jobs and other jobs in the state, putting hundreds of thousands of people out of work.
“When people have Medicaid coverage, they’re more likely to use primary and preventive care and less likely to use emergency room services,” Laurel Lucia said. “That’s a better use of health care dollars and it’s better for people’s health.”
Federal law prohibits charging the poorest Medicaid enrollees a premium, and Newsom’s $100 monthly payment would be considered unaffordable for current beneficiaries, said Laurel Lucia, director of the health care program at the University of California-Berkeley Labor Center.
“If federal Medicaid spending is cut,” Lucia said, “it would affect health care providers and health care jobs.” Less funding means less service, fewer providers getting paid, and/or those providers’ rates for service being slashed.
“When a healthcare job is lost, that healthcare worker has less money to spend in their community, at the stores they normally shop at,” said Laurel Lucia. “That in turn could lead to job losses in those other non-healthcare industries.”
While the majority of job losses would affect health care workers, industries that rely on the health care industry, such as restaurants and retail stores, would also face significant job losses.
A new report from the UC Berkeley Labor Center estimates California could lose between 109,000 to 217,000 jobs if U.S. leaders make anticipated cuts to Medicaid health insurance for very-low income people.
