United States Rep. Mike Levin held a press conference on Tuesday to speak out against cuts to Medicaid and other health care programs.
One day before the 60th anniversary of Medicaid on July 30, Levin was joined by health care industry leaders and patients to share the budget bill’s ramifications on San Diego.
“Sixty years ago, our country made a promise that if you got sick and needed health care coverage, you shouldn’t be left to fend for yourself. It’s a pretty basic promise, and for 60 years, it has given life saving access to health care services for millions and millions of Americans,” Levin said.
“But today, that promise is at risk as it has not been in a very long time.”
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” was passed on July 4. The bill includes major changes to Medicaid that affect eligibility requirements for coverage. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research and policy institute, said Medicaid changes would have nationwide effects.
Because millions rely on Medicaid, cuts could lead health care providers to limit services or leave the area if not enough patients are coming in, leading to diminished health care access for an entire community.
According to the California Hospital Association, which advocates for better and more accessible health care in California and represents more than 400 hospitals throughout the state, the budget bill will result in between $66 billion and $128 billion in Medicaid and Medicare revenue losses across California hospitals in the next decade.
The Tuesday press conference was held at the San Diego PACE building in Vista. The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE, is a division of San Ysidro Health, a nonprofit providing affordable and accessible health care to families. PACE serves adults 55 years or older, and according to Veronica Dela Rosa, the interim chief executive officer for San Ysidro Health, roughly 65% of PACE patients are on Medicaid.
San Ysidro Health serves roughly 160,000 patients, meaning nearly 104,000 people could lose access to care due to Medicaid cuts.
“Let’s be clear, this is happening in our backyards, here in Vista, in Escondido and throughout the county. These are our neighbors, our patients and our loved ones,” Dela Rosa said.
Rosa said San Ysidro Health has already seen seniors on fixed incomes entering PACE and alerting the staff to hunger. Levin said insurance premium notices could start going out as early as September, alerting people to premium increases. While the full effect of the budget bill won’t hit until the end of 2026, according to Levin, effects are already being felt in the community.
“We may have to say no to people who truly need our help. We’ll lose trust, we’ll lose jobs, and people will lose their lives. I think what’s really heartbreaking,” said Mary Jurgensen, community outreach director at Gary and Mary West PACE.
Press conference speakers aired their concerns for local health coverage and the ramifications of the budget bill. Almost all expressed worries regarding the increased cost of care, potential hospital closures, decreased services and longer wait times for care. Some even went as far as to say potential deaths, though preventable, may occur.
Levin said every Californian will eventually feel the effects of the bill, even if not enrolled in Medi-Cal.
“When you think about this bill, it keeps you up at night, and what keeps me up at night is not only what it means for the medical community, but really what it means for every American. These cuts will have ripple effects that go far beyond Medi-Cal recipients, Medicaid recipients and Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) recipients. These cuts will touch and affect every single American,” said Dr. Melanie Wolf, chief medical officer of Providence Mission Hospital.
Levin vowed to continue working to restore coverage to Medicaid recipients.
“I’m going to do everything I can to ensure that should we be so fortunate as to take the gavel back next November, that we are able to work in good faith towards restoring Medicaid to millions of Americans,” he said.
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