On Wednesday the state Senate approved almost $200 million in funding for the struggling Healthy Families Program.
Most Republicans opposed the Democratic bill. However some GOP lawmakers, such as Senator Dave Cox of Fair Oaks, supported it:
“I don’t believe there’s a single person in this chamber who wants to see six or seven hundred thousand kids in the state of California disenrolled from a health insurance program.”
Healthy Families took a funding cut as part of the state’s budget deal. Since then more than 70,000 kids have been waitlisted. And officials say without more money the program would start disenrolling kids in November.
Under the measure health plans will pay less in some taxes but for a longer period of time to generate almost $100 million. Families would pay twice as much for some doctor’s visit and most prescription drugs. And the First Five Commission will chip in more than $80 million to offset the shortfall.
The state Assembly is expected to vote on the bill on Thursday, September 3.