California Budget Cuts and Children’s Health Insurance Coverage

California deal leaves more kids uninsured, By Ryan Knutson, August 1, 2009, Wall Street Journal: “California’s budget deal is expected to nearly double the state’s number of uninsured children and puts a spotlight on a key provision in the health-care bills in Congress. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this week signed a revised annual budget to close California’s $24 billion shortfall, including a $1.4 billion cut to Medi-Cal, the state’s version of Medicaid. In addition, California slashed $178.6 million from Healthy Families, its version of the Children’s Health Insurance Program…”
Sacramento-area parents fear Healthy Families cuts, By Bobby Caina Calvan, August 3, 2009, Sacramento Bee: ” Monique Kolster and her children are in a tense waiting game. Her daughter Elle is a healthy 2-year-old, but 4-year-old Tadd has a chronic ailment requiring frequent visits to doctors and specialists. Sometime soon Kolster will learn if the children can keep their medical coverage from California’s budget-ravaged Healthy Families program, the safety net for hundreds of thousands of children…”