Alameda County braces for health care crisis created by federal 'One Big Beautiful Bill'
HR 1 threatens to strip $100 million annually from Alameda County’s safety-net hospitals, jeopardizing Medi-Cal access, abortion providers, and care for undocumented residents.
☕️MORNING BUZZ
—Alameda County health leaders are warning of devastating fallout from the passage of H.R. 1, better known as the “Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping federal measure that could strip more than $100 million a year from the county’s safety-net hospitals and health programs.
The funding rollbacks, which could extend for at least three years, threaten to destabilize a health care system that already struggles to meet the needs of low-income residents, including Medi-Cal patients, people recently released from jail, and undocumented residents.
If the cuts fully materialize, Alameda County could be forced to absorb hundreds of millions of dollars in health care costs over the next several years—a fiscal cliff the county cannot handle alone.
“This is a massive decrease for all the hospitals in our county starting in 2028,” Matt Woodruff, CEO of the Alameda Alliance for Health, told county supervisors on Monday. “That is going to be some concern.”… [READ MORE BELOW]
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—More inside:
COUNTY NEWS: More on the upcoming devastating impacts on the county’s safety net, low-income residents, undocumented immigrants, and formerly incarcerated.
Transit agency pleads poverty, but wants approval for additional moving costs for new COO.
CITY NEWS: Hayward council cuts its pay as city’s police brass gets raises, adding costs to its hemorrhaging budget.
Hayward is thinking about the one that got away as it searches for a new city manager.
Alameda’s mayoral race next year is wide-open. One possible candidate—really good at winning council races, but little else—is making overtures.
🗓️MORNING BUZZ goes live on Wednesday morning with Oakland City Council President Kevin Jenkins taking my questions and yours at Prescott Market in Oakland.
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