San Joaquin Valley children will be first impacted by politicians slashing Medi-Cal | Opinion

What kind of nation chooses to balance its budget by taking health care away from children?

Right now, certain politicians are advancing a federal budget outline that, while not listing Medi-Cal cuts specifically, directs congressional committees to reduce overall Medicaid funding. In California, that means Medi-Cal.

The intent is clear and the outcome is predictable. When the final budget is voted on later this year, Medi-Cal will be on the chopping block.

Local members of Congress voted for this plan, fully aware of the consequences. They know these cuts will impact families across the Central Valley. They know our hospitals, schools and children will bear the cost. And they voted for it anyway.

Let us stop pretending this is just a budget issue. It is not. It is a moral one.

Children will suffer

More than half of all children in California are covered by Medi-Cal. This includes routine care, vaccinations, asthma medication, diabetes management, trauma therapy and speech support. Stripping that care away does not simply remove a safety net. It removes a child’s chance at a healthy future.

Will those who support these cuts explain to a foster child why their therapy is gone? Will they tell the mother of a disabled child that her son can no longer access the support he needs?

All children in California’s foster care system are covered by Medi-Cal. So are tens of thousands of students in Title I schools, where school nurses and counselors are funded by Medi-Cal reimbursements.

For many families raising children with disabilities, Medi-Cal is the only path to critical medical services. There is no private alternative. There is no backup plan.

Overwhelmed schools

Public schools in the Central Valley are stretched thin. Educators are expected to manage academic instruction, emotional care and medical needs while navigating chronic underfunding.

Medi-Cal helps by reimbursing schools for services like counseling and therapy. What happens when that support disappears? What happens when children show up to school with untreated illness or trauma and there is no one to help? Teachers will be left to carry that weight alone. And the children who need the most support will fall even further behind.

Hospitals in crisis

Hospitals that serve our communities are not speculating about what Medi-Cal cuts might mean — they already know.

Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera cares for thousands of Medi-Cal patients every year. Cuts will mean fewer beds, longer wait times, and children turned away. Kaweah Health in Visalia has reported $37 million in losses over six months, with projections reaching $75 million by year’s end. Their leadership has stated clearly they cannot maintain current services without Medi-Cal funding. Staff layoffs and service reductions are imminent.

Madera Community Hospital was already shut down; it just reopened. Over 80,000 Madera County residents rely on Medi-Cal. The community fought to reopen the hospital, but with reduced funding and increasing need, that fight may eventually be lost.

Is this the system we want for our region? One where children’s hospitals turn patients away, rural hospitals close and families travel hours for basic care?

Policy choices by elected officials

Politicians often say they care about children. They attend school events. They post photos from neonatal units. Then they quietly vote for budgets that remove the very programs those children depend on. This is not about government waste. It is not about fiscal responsibility. It is about protecting the wealthy and punishing the vulnerable. It is about pretending not to see the damage because the children who suffer do not have power.

These cuts will not harm lobbyists or donors. They will harm the child who needs an inhaler. The teenager in foster care trying to recover from trauma. The infant whose survival depends on a specialist their parents cannot afford.

If you are reading this and feel outraged, you should. And you should use that passion.

Decisions are being made now at the committee level in Congress. These votes are being cast in your name. Call your representatives. Show up at town halls. Ask questions. Write letters. Speak for the families who are too tired, too scared or too overwhelmed to speak for themselves.

This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 10:33 AM.