The California Chronic Care Coalition (CCCC) is deeply concerned with the Governor’s proposed 2025-26 budget cuts (May Revise) to Medi-Cal Coverage. We are concerned that patients will be hurt through ill-advised and hasty cuts to the Medi-Cal budget.  You can review the budget passed by the legislature HERE. For instance, the cuts would:

These are evidence-based obesity treatments for low-income Californians. Obesity is a Chronic Disease—Not a Lifestyle Choice.

GLP-1 medications are a breakthrough in obesity treatment. They help patients achieve and maintain meaningful weight loss, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and dramatically reduce the risk of developing costly, life-limiting conditions. For many Medi-Cal recipients, who already face barriers to healthy food and specialty care, the proposed cuts would prevent access to the only viable tool to manage their disease and prevent comorbidities. This is not just a loss for those who may need the weight loss assistance, but people who are already seeing the benefit of using the medications will lose their access. For more information, read: CCCC Oppose GLP-1 Cuts in State Budget (1), and an Open letter on GLP-1 Medi-Cal cuts.

For cancer patients, UM delays can lead to adverse health outcomes and, in some cases, put lives at risk. Under the proposed changes, cancer patients enrolled in Medi-Cal would be required to receive state approval before starting treatment. This process, known as prior authorization, creates delays in care and administrative burdens for oncologists. If authorization is denied, the patient’s care team must hurry to appeal the decision, while the patient risks their cancer progressing. Step therapy is another element of utilization management. It would force patients to try and “fail” an older or preferred treatment before being granted access to the medication originally prescribed by their doctor. Unfortunately, step therapy policies are particularly burdensome in care treatment, given the individualized nature of modern cancer treatments. Metastatic cancer treatments are highly personalized and must be based on decisions made between the patient and their healthcare providers. For more information, please read:

Susan Komen Letter — 2025_May_Revise_UM_Opposition[FINAL], and Link to CCCC Blog on UM

Watch for the first in our webinar series “XXXXX” scheduled for June 26, 2025.