Patterico's Pontifications

1/9/2015

Medi-Cal Costs Way Too High and Set to Explode Further

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 12:02 am



The L.A. Times reports:

California’s budget, which bounced back after years of deficits, is now being squeezed by rising healthcare costs for the poor and for retired state workers.

The mountain of medical bills threatens to undermine Gov. Jerry Brown’s efforts to strengthen state finances — his central promise of the past four years.

Enrollment in the state’s healthcare program for the poor, known as Medi-Cal, has exploded by 50% since President Obama’s signature law took effect. Although the federal government picks up most of the tab, state costs have also been growing, and faster than expected.

Don’t worry, though. It will get much worse:

Over the next year, total Medi-Cal enrollment is expected to reach 12.2 million, he said — about one-third of the state’s population. It was less than 8 million in 2013.

. . . .

Obama’s new immigration policy could also increase healthcare costs. More than a million California immigrants who are in the country illegally are expected to be protected from deportation, and many will probably qualify for Medi-Cal, but those costs cannot yet be calculated, according to the Brown administration.

So, yay.

22 Responses to “Medi-Cal Costs Way Too High and Set to Explode Further”

  1. Give retired state workers a voucher for an Obamacare Silver plan. The system could use a bunch more pissed off people.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  2. Amazing isn’t it? It took until 2015 for Democrat governors to wake up and say, “Oh, ObamaCare actually required us to find a way to pay for the new medicaid enrollees. Who would have thunk it?” Well, governors, just about every one of us who figured out the financing for the bill understood this.

    The best part too is that in two years the sales tax increase we voted to impose upon ourselves in 2012 will end, so we’ll either have to extend it or find the money elsewhere. And right when Jerry Brown is leaving office the income tax increase on the rich will end. Maybe you can’t tax your way out of a structural deficit after all.

    JVW (1ab181)

  3. Give retired state workers a voucher for an Obamacare Silver plan. The system could use a bunch more pissed off people.

    I like it, especially if it’s a voucher that only covers about 60% of the cost of the plan.

    JVW (1ab181)

  4. There are also long-term healthcare costs for retired public workers. Most earn healthcare for life after 10 years on the job, with the state picking up the full tab for many after 20 years.

    earn.

    lol

    happyfeet (831175)

  5. Over the next year, total Medi-Cal enrollment is expected to reach 12.2 million, he said — about one-third of the state’s population. It was less than 8 million in 2013.

    I’m having a little problem recounciling these numbers with the Ebolacare figures released by the administration. My recollection from last week was that enrollment nationwide would be about 10 million this year if everything goes as planned. I think it is also the case that most of the enrollees are people with prior conditions and no ability to pay. So one third of Kalifornia will be disabled and unemployed by the end of the year?

    Whatever happened to the 38 million uninsured?

    We seem to have reached a state where nothing adds up … or down. Perhaps Sammy can figure this out.

    bobathome (348c8a)

  6. A significant correction in the equity markets will blow Moonbeam’s budget alone.

    DNF (26e1da)

  7. Bob,
    Obamacare ALSO had the extension of eligibility for Medicaid. Remember there was a Supreme Court case about states that didn’t want to increase eligibility but also still wanted their original Federal Medicaid dollars.

    Xmas (f65ded)

  8. I still can’t believe that you guys re-elected Gov. Moonbeam. Politics is funny.

    http://gotnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/If-its-Brown-Flush-it-Down-Dockweiler-Beach-01.jpg

    carlitos (c24ed5)

  9. California doesn’t rise up the shoulders knees of New York when it comes to overspending for Medicaid.

    Sammy Finkelman (6b5229)

  10. JVW (1ab181) — 1/9/2015 @ 12:49 am

    “Oh, ObamaCare actually required us to find a way to pay for the new medicaid enrollees. Who would have thunk it?”

    It pays, for several years, for those <i newly eligible but not for peeople who would have previously bene eligible, but didn’t apply.

    Not only are more services used, but now many or most are no longer pay as used, but enrolled in some kind of plan that charges a monthly premium, use it or not.

    And some people who, it turns out, were not eligible for Medicaid after all in some calendar year, will get enormous multi-thousand dollar bills.

    Which will not be actually collected, though, in most cases.

    But they may have to stay poor. Nobody really knows.

    Sammy Finkelman (6b5229)

  11. People enrolled in Medicaid, even if directed to do so by an exchange created pursuant to the PPACA, are not enrolled in any of the exchange plans, and they are not Obamacare enrollees..

    Sammy Finkelman (6b5229)

  12. i see Pat forgot to include “unexpectedly” in this post…

    😎

    redc1c4 (cf3b04)

  13. bobathome – Obama’s booming economic recovery caused more people to become eligible for medicaid, unexpectedly, or something.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  14. Jerry raises taxes so that he can give away more stuff to Illegal Aliens, and other assorted parasites.

    askeptic (efcf22)

  15. #14: i saw something about a proposal to have the state give them insurance…

    i didn’t follow the link on advice from my cardiologist, so i don’t know if it’s true or not.

    however, it IS stupid enough to be something that would not only be proposed, but passed.

    redc1c4 (cf3b04)

  16. Coming soon: more new taxes.

    It is getting to the point where I will need to leave.

    Patricia (5fc097)

  17. Going to be funny once they start imposing a tax when you leave the State.

    Only problem is wherever Californians move they infect with the same version of stupid.

    Colorado is a good example.

    Rodney King's Spirit (8b9b5a)

  18. What is the cost of health care increase versus the amount of money California will spend on the high speed rail? Just asking.

    Dave (f5fb18)

  19. Dumb California voters: You mean it isn’t all free???

    Patricia (5fc097)

  20. Dumb California voters: You mean it isn’t all free???

    As opposed to voters in other states?

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  21. Moonbeam wants to use money raised by “carbon taxes” to pay for his high speed fail plan…

    but even the libtards in my neighborhood are up in arms over the new gas tax. they got mad when i laughed at them, since they all voted for the idiots who passed AB32, and because they all still believe in Global Warmening… they just don’t want to pay moar to prevent it. 😎

    (as if man has any control over anything but micro climates)

    redc1c4 (34e91b)

  22. Born and raised here. Was always proud to be a Californian, thought it meant something special– being innovative, entrepreneurial, not hidebound. But now California is just an intellectually bankrupt, perennially broke welfare state with confiscatory taxes, excruciating political correctness, Orwellian regulations, a toxic tide of illegal immigration, and traffic gridlock on every road at every moment of every day. Hoped to raise my kids as Californians, but can no longer in good conscience inflict that upon them. Idaho.

    Kevin Stafford (df475d)


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