RED ALERT: California: Healthcare Will Cost State Up to $3 Billion

“Figure $2 billion to $3 billion. That’s the state of California’s rough estimate of what national healthcare expansion ultimately will cost it each year…Now the burden of implementing the federal healthcare expansion will fall on the states through their various Medicaid programs…Under the final version, the feds will pay 100% of the cost for new Medi-Cal enrollees for two years, reduce it to 95%, then permanently kick in 90% starting in 2020…The largesse will cover only those new recipients who qualify under the overhaul’s looser eligibility rules…Yes, this may be a terrific and historic program, but it is going to cost the state money. We shouldn’t kid ourselves.”