Regional Vibrancy and Sustainability

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — known as CalFresh in California — is the cornerstone of the federal government’s effort to reduce hunger and help struggling families put food on the table. Check out this fact sheet from the California Budget & Policy Center, that illustrates how food assistance varies in California.

California saw large increases in health coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 3.7 million adults enrolled in the Medi-Cal expansion. 1.2 million Californians enrolled in subsidized insurance through Covered California, with average annual premium subsidies of $3,700. Check out UC Berkeley Center Labor's fact sheet on what is at risk for California counties if the ACA is repealed.

President-elect Trump and some in Congress have called for establishing absolute limits on the federal government’s spending on Medicaid, not only for the population covered through the Affordable Care Act’s eligibility expansion but for the program overall. Take a look at Commonwealth Fund's issue brief on two of the most common proposals for reengineering federal funding of Medicaid: block grants that set limits on total annual spending regardless of enrollment, and caps that limit average spending per enrollee.