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HomePublicationsAnnouncementLabor Center Research on the Impacts of Federal Medicaid Cuts on California

Labor Center Research on the Impacts of Federal Medicaid Cuts on California

    May 14, 2025 - 

    Close up of red, white and blue stars and stripes buttons reading "Medicaid."Congress is currently considering major cuts to Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California. The Medi-Cal program is critical to Californians’ health care, with nearly 15 million Californians enrolled. One out of three Californians and one out of five California workers is enrolled in Medi-Cal. The program is critical to health care providers and health care jobs in the state, with approximately one out of every five health care dollars spent tied to Medi-Cal and one out of seven workers in the state employed in health care. The program also makes up a significant portion of the California state budget, including over $100 billion in federal Medi-Cal funds.

    UC Berkeley Labor Center researchers Miranda Dietz, Laurel Lucia, Alexis Manzanilla, and Nari Rhee have analyzed the potential impacts of Medicaid cuts on California and the importance of the Medi-Cal program to our state.

    See also our policy brief on California’s May Revise budget proposal that would curtail Medi-Cal benefits for undocumented immigrants and certain other immigrants.

    Middle-aged dark-haired woman feeding soup to an elderly woman.Blog post: Medicaid Cuts—Including Work Documentation Requirements—Harm Older Adults
    Nari Rhee | June 23, 2025
    Rolling back Medicaid access through cuts and bureaucratic hurdles will have far-reaching and disproportionate impacts on older adults. In particular, the work documentation requirement poses an especially draconian barrier to older adults, given the steady dropoff in employment after age 50 due to deteriorating health, age discrimination, and increasing responsibility to provide care for aging family members.

    An orange-red heat map of California health care employment by county.NEW Maps: California Health Care Employment by District and County 2023
    Alexis Manzanilla and Laurel Lucia | May 7, 2025
    These interactive maps show California health care employment by county and congressional district, including by sector and as a percentage of total employment. In total approximately 2.65 million Californians were employed in a range of health care sectors making up 14% of all California workers in 2023. The large share of California employment that is in health care is especially relevant at a time when major cuts to Medicaid are being considered in Congress, and approximately one out of every five dollars spent on health care is tied to Medi-Cal.

    Very close up view of a form that reads "Medicaid Eligibility" with partial view of a stethoscope on it.UPDATED blog post: Eight Million Medi-Cal Enrollees at Risk of Losing Health Coverage If Congress Imposes Work Requirements
    Nari Rhee, Laurel Lucia and Miranda Dietz | March 25, 2025; updated May 22, 2025
    This March 2025 blog post discussed the potential impacts of a Medicaid work requirement in California. We added an update with information about the May 22, 2025, House bill on Medicaid work requirements; based on an earlier draft, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates the proposal would put 2.3 to 3.5 million Medi-Cal participants at risk of losing coverage. 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.

    Hospital room with young dark-complected nurse wearing face mask checking on patient's IV fluid; patient is blurred with gray hair. Policy brief: California Could Lose Up to 217,000 Jobs if Congress Cuts Medicaid
    Laurel Lucia | April 24, 2025
    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.

    Illustration map of California with county boundaries and percentage values in the counties.Maps: Medi-Cal Enrollment (All Ages) and Spending by District and County 2024
    Laurel Lucia and Miranda Dietz | February 3, 2025
    This page provides estimates of the number of individuals and percentage of population enrolled in Medi-Cal by county, congressional district, assembly district, and senate district, as of June 2024.

    Illustration map of California with county boundaries and percentage values in the counties.Maps: Medi-Cal Enrollment Among Children and Teens by District and County 2024
    Laurel Lucia and Miranda Dietz | March 11, 2025
    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.