At Folsom hospital, dozens rally against proposed Medicaid cuts
Dozens of health care workers and advocates rallied at a Folsom hospital Tuesday, calling on lawmakers to oppose a slate of proposed changes to Medicaid, the federal safety net health insurance program that covers more than 14 million people in California.
Workers from the Folsom hospital and other facilities in the region said they fear that significant changes to the program would lead to budget cuts at hospitals and clinics and a larger population of uninsured patients.
Dr. Ian Kim, a family physician at a safety net clinic in Yolo County, said patients have been asking how they will afford their medications if they lose coverage, and where they could turn for care.
“It comes up every day,” said Kim, who also teaches at UC Davis’ medical school.
Kim said he’s watched Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, expand progressively over the course of his career. Today 80% of his patients depend on it for coverage.
“That’s been transformative,” he said. “I’ve had patients with really serious illnesses who had no insurance, and we did not have the resources in our clinic alone, without insurance, to meet their needs… Suddenly they were eligible for Medi-Cal, and their lives changed.”
About 75 people gathered outside Dignity Health Mercy Hospital of Folsom, calling on legislators to oppose Medicaid cuts. The rally was organized by a coalition called “Fight For Our Health.”
Renee Saldaña, press secretary for SEIU United Healthcare Workers West, said several of the union’s locals are members of the coalition, along with Health Access California and a variety of other labor and patient advocate groups. Saldaña said similar rallies were scheduled at 20 other hospitals across California.
Dignity said in a statement that the hospital was aware of the planned rally, and respected the group’s right to protest. Hospital operations would continue as usual. The health system declined to comment on the proposed Medicaid cuts.
Debate continues in Congress
Congress’ budget outline, passed earlier this year, called for $880 billion in savings over the course of a decade by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid. Health care policy experts have said that based on the budget items the committee oversees, the vast majority would have to come from Medicaid.
It’s unclear how those cuts will be achieved, or whether there is sufficient political will to pass dramatic changes to the program. The latest proposal would impose “community engagement requirements” of at least 80 hours per month of work, education or service for able-bodied adults without dependents, the Associated Press reported.
Members would also have to verify their eligibility twice a year, rather than once, and there would be a reduction in federal payments for states like California, which allow undocumented immigrants to receive Medicaid.
At the Folsom rally Tuesday, protesters called out Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, whose district includes the hospital where the rally was held.
In a virtual news conference Tuesday afternoon, Kiley described the latest Medicaid proposals as “common-sense reforms.”
This story was originally published May 13, 2025 at 5:16 PM.
