Federal cuts put Los Angeles County health system in crisis

Los Angeles County’s health system is taking care of the poorest people in the area as the presidential administration and Republican-led Congress are slashing Congress that hopes to significantly reduce the size of the government and therefore are heading towards a financial crisis crisis.

The “large bill” passed by President Trump earlier this month is expected to soon collect $750 million a year from the county health service department, which oversees four public hospitals and about two dozen clinics. In a full-staff email Friday, the agency called the bill a “big, devastating blow to our health system” and said the recruitment freeze was in effect immediately.

The Trump administration’s budget for the next fiscal year could result in a $200 million cut in the county’s Department of Public Health, whose responsibilities include monitoring disease outbreaks, checking food and providing medication use treatments.

“I won’t go to icing. I won’t say we survive,” Barbara Ferrer, head of public health, said in an interview. “We can’t survive such a big cut.”

Both Ferrer and Health Services head Christina Ghaly warned that the federal government would destroy its institutions and the patients they serve in the coming years. Employee layoffs may be.

In April, the White House announced it would end infectious disease grants worth billions $45 million That Los Angeles County should be used to combat the spread of measles and bird flu. California has joined other states in litigation protesting layoffs, and the court issued a preliminary injunction to suspend cuts.

The county public health department lost another $16 million this month after Trump’s bills cut a plan that provides recipients who accept food stamps with recipients on how to buy healthy meals.

And more. Ferrer warned that the Trump administration’s proposed budget for 2026 will be the biggest blow to date, snatching $200 million from her department and cutting 12%.

“I’m old. I’ve been in a long time,” said Ferrer, whose public health work can be traced back to the Reagan administration. “I’ve never really seen such a despise of public health.”

Ferrer said the cuts mean she no longer has enough money to support the county’s bioterrorism watch program, which monitors outbreaks, which could indicate Biological Attack. Soon, county officials may have to stop testing the toxins year-round seawater, she said, reducing it to only half a year.

She said, “Like, do you want to swim?” It affects everyone who goes to the beach. ”

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said her budget cuts by $200 million.

(Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)

Ferrer said the layoffs are likely to be layoffs. Support approximately 1,500 public health workers through federal grants. More than half of the federal currency received by the department is remitted to external organizations, which is likely to require layoffs to stay floating.

The county health service department is conducting a similar grim cost analysis, and executives say they expect to lose $280 million this fiscal year due to the bill.

“I can’t guarantee that we will be able to avoid layoffs due to the magnitude of the challenge,” Galley said.

Galley said the bill cuts the county’s additional Medicaid that typically provides care for low-income patients. They expect many patients may be initiated by Medicaid due to new eligibility and job requirements. The federal government is paying for emergency services for undocumented people, which means the county will have to pay more bills.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Health Services officials said they expect to lose $750 million per year by 2028. By then, the agency’s budget deficit was expected to surge to $1.85 billion.

To try to put more cash into the system, Los Angeles County Supervisor voted Tuesday to pass the parcel tax first approved by voters in 2002, which is expected to raise an additional $87 million for the county’s trauma care network.

After a long debate on Tuesday, Superintendents Holly Mitchell and Lindsey Horvath are committed to transferring $9 million in parcel tax to Martin Luther King Jr. Jr., a private hospital that is a vital safety net for South Los Angeles residents who would otherwise find themselves in the medical desert.

No cash injections from the county Cut Elaine Batchlor, CEO of Martin Luther King, said in Trump’s bill, the hospital will risk closure because most patients in his emergency rooms are Medicaid.

“If they lose Medicaid coverage, we won’t pay these patients at all,” she said.

Dr. Elaine Batchlor, CEO of MLK Community Healthcare, said her hospital was financially hanged. Then cut more.

(Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

Martin Luther King replaces a county hospital that closed after losing its national certification in 2005 due to a serious medical malpractice, naming it a nickname “Killer King. ”

“I think the fact that the hospital is closed first is the fact that it is a crime, and I intend to do everything possible to protect the integrity of the service,” Mitchell said. Mitchell’s area includes the hospital and urges it to make money from the increase in parcel tax.

Local health providers say changes at the state level create additional uncertainty. The national budget for this fiscal year freezes enrollment for the Medi-Cal version of California’s Medicaid, which begins in January for undocumented immigrants aged 19 and over. Medi-Cal recipients aged 19 to 59 will have to pay a monthly premium of $30 starting July 1, 2027.

“Most families [we serve] Earn about $2,400 to $2,600 a month. They will have to choose between paying a mattress fee ($120 per month) for the family of four, or paying rent or paying for food.

St. John’s Clinic earns most of its income from Medi-Cal reimbursement each year, serving 120,000 patients a year, most of whom live below the federal poverty line.

Mangia warned that if the clinic cannot find an alternative to losing income, services must be reduced. The clinic recently began accepting immigrant patients at home after realizing they had skipped their appointments because they were worried about being arrested by federal immigration agents.

“That’s what we’re looking for is closing several health centers,” Mangia said. “We’re considering laying off hundreds of employees.”

At the Venice Family Clinic, a community health center serving nearly 45,000 patients, 80% of whom rely on Medi-CAL. About half of the clinic’s revenue comes from Medi-Cal reimbursement.

Changes in federal policy, especially more frequent paperwork and increased work requirements – may disengage qualified patients from Medi-Cal, said Dr. Mitesh Popat, a family physician and clinic director. He said the clinic is exploring ways to expand support for patients to support paperwork and maintain their coverage.

“This poses a lot of obstacles in the way people already face enough challenges in their lives,” Popat said. “They are trying to do that, trying to survive, trying to put food on the table.”