Late News: Stimulus funds won’t be enough to stop some California cuts

California officials determined that the state will not receive enough federal stimulus funds to reverse $54 million in cuts to public hospitals and some benefits to 3 million adult Medicaid patients. On Feb. 20, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a budget bill that allowed for certain healthcare, education and infrastructure cuts, provided the state received less than $10 billion in general funds through June 2010 from the federal stimulus package. After analysis, California Treasurer Bill Lockyer and other officials determined that the state will receive $8.2 billion in federal stimulus dollars—short of the “trigger” that would have reversed the cuts. The cuts include $54 million for the Safety Net Care Pool, which helps pay for hospital care for the uninsured.