California Voters Favor Tax Increases Instead of Medicaid Reductions To Cover State Budget Deficit, Poll Says

A majority of registered voters in California support increasing taxes to prevent proposed reductions to Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program, in the state's fiscal year 2002-2003 budget, according to a survey sponsored by the California HealthCare Foundation. In the survey, conducted by the Field Institute, researchers asked 1,052 registered voters about their opinions on different proposals to cover the state's estimated $23.6 billion budget deficit. The survey found that 76% of voters oppose reductions to health care programs for low-income and disabled California residents. Voters also oppose most proposals to reduce Medi-Cal costs. The survey found that 64% of voters oppose reductions in Medi-Cal reimbursements to providers or the elimination of optional benefits such as dental care. However, 53% of voters favor an increase in income eligibility limits to reduce Medi-Cal costs, the survey found. CHCF CEO Mark Smith said, "The findings clearly show that the Medi-Cal program is one of the areas voters want spared from the budget axe." Researchers also asked voters about public health programs in general and found that 77% of voters support programs that provide health coverage for low-income or disabled residents. In addition, 84% of voters favor programs that provide health coverage to children in low-income families, the survey found.

Support for Tax Increases
According to the survey, 94% of voters favor some form of tax increase over reductions in public health programs to cover the state's budget deficit. The survey found that 78% of voters support a five-cent per-serving tax increase on alcohol, and 74% of voters favor a 50-cent per-pack tax increase on cigarettes (CHCF release, 7/9). The survey found "strong support to raise taxes" to avoid proposed reductions to Medi-Cal, Chris Perrone, deputy director of the Medi-Cal Policy Institute at CHCF, said (Darryl Drevna, Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/9). More information on the survey is available online.