key takeaway
Cutting Medi-Cal funding would deepen racial and gender health disparities, putting the well-being of women of color at risk. Women of color already face systemic barriers to health care due to racism and sexism, leading to poorer health outcomes and shorter life expectancies. Policymakers should strengthen Medi-Cal to ensure equitable access to health care.
Medi-Cal, Californian’s Medicaid program, is a lifeline that provides free or low-cost health coverage for over one-third of California’s population. Access to health care leads to better health outcomes and a more effective health care system and benefits communities.
Right now, Congressional Republicans are actively pushing federal budget and policy proposals that threaten the program by cutting its funding in favor of tax breaks for the wealthy. Such cuts would be harmful for millions of Californians, but for women of color, including multi-race, Latinx, Black, and Asian and Pacific Islander women, who are already facing significant health disparities due to historic and ongoing racism and sexism, these cuts would be devastating.
Women of color are vital in creating a vibrant and economically strong California. They are the backbone of prosperous communities and the strong workforce that propelled California into becoming the fifth largest economy in the world. When women of color thrive, their communities thrive.
Without access to health coverage, women of color would face impossible choices between paying rent, putting food on the table, and getting the care they need to stay healthy. For many, Medi-Cal is the only way to access vital health services, from primary care to mental health supports. Cutting funding for Medi-Cal means taking critical care away from people who already face long-standing barriers to care, such as:
- Lack of health coverage,
- Limited access to transportation to get to appointments,
- Limited health care resources,
- Lack of culturally competent and linguistically appropriate care, or
- Other forms of discrimination.
These barriers to care are rooted in structural racism and sexism, which have driven policy decisions that systematically deny women of color equitable access to quality care and resources. Cutting funding for Medicaid would worsen these racial inequities and put the health and well-being of women of color at risk.
Key Terms
1. Women of Color Face High Barriers to Mental and Overall Health
Centuries of racism, sexism, and economic exclusion have created disparities in health outcomes. Almost 30% of Native American women in California are in fair or poor health, and over 20% have experienced serious psychological distress in the past year. Multi-race, Latinx, Black, and Asian and Pacific Islander women all also report experiencing worse health outcomes than average in California. These racial and ethnic disparities can be attributed to a history of racism and sexism in health care. Unfortunately, these disparities will only worsen if cuts are made to Medicaid programs that provide health care for individuals in the state.
2. Native American and Black Women Have Shortest Life Expectancies
Life expectancy is a useful measure of population health, and can indicate underlying racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in health care and economic and social inequities. In California, the average life expectancy for a woman is just under 84 years. However, Native American and Black women have significantly shorter life expectancies, at 79 and 77 years respectively. This is a profound injustice. The disparities seen in women of color in California signal that Native American and Black women especially are facing barriers to accessing health care as well as racism and discrimination that can contribute to lower quality of care. Medi-Cal saves lives and proposed cuts would take critical care away from those who need it most, further worsening disparities that are already present for women of color in California.
3. There Are Significant Racial Gaps in Access to Health Insurance
While access to health coverage in California has improved for all racial/ethnic groups over the last decade, women of color continue to face barriers to health insurance coverage. Latinx, Native American, and Pacific Islander women all face the highest barriers to accessing health insurance in the state. Almost 15% of Latinx women in California did not have health insurance between 2018 and 2022. These disparities in health coverage highlight the profound and enduring impact of racism and sexism, which blocks women of color from equal access to health care.
Health care is critical for individuals and families to thrive, pursue education, and contribute to their communities. Systemic barriers in the health care system have contributed to these racial and ethnic disparities, and cuts to Medicaid would only increase the number of people without this critical care.
4. Multi-Racial Women Are Delaying Receiving Critical Care at High Rates
No one should ever have to skip or delay health care, but a large portion of women, and especially women of color, are delaying medical care or getting prescriptions. Nearly 1 in 3 multi-racial women delayed receiving medical care between 2018 and 2022, a significantly higher amount than the statewide average (26%).
Forgoing preventive care or treatment for health conditions is harmful to health and well-being. Avoiding or delaying care also threatens the ability of women to thrive in the state. The reasons women are delaying care are many, such as lack of time due to caregiving responsibilities, but point to systemic obstacles as well as racism and sexism in the health care industry. Cutting funding for Medicaid would increase the cost of health care for millions of Californians and cause even more women to delay receiving critical care.
5. Adequate Prenatal Care Is an Area of Concern for Women of Color
Prenatal care refers to the health care a woman receives during pregnancy to help ensure a healthy pregnancy for both the mother and fetus. Yet, women of color and specifically, Black, Latinx, multi-racial, Native American, and Pacific Islander women all report receiving less adequate prenatal care than the statewide average. The starkest disparity is for Pacific Islander women where nearly 3 in 5 women report receiving adequate prenatal care, or in other words, nearly 2 in 5 women do not receive adequate prenatal care. Barriers to receiving adequate prenatal care impact the health of the birthing parent, the child, and the family. Action should be taken to increase access to adequate prenatal care, not cuts that would take care away.
Policymakers should protect Medi-Cal. Women of color in California are already bearing the brunt of years of racism and sexism that have led to stark disparities in health outcomes. Cutting Medi-Cal would take critical care away from millions of women of color who rely on Medi-Cal to stay healthy. Rather than deepening these inequities, state and federal policymakers should strengthen Medi-Cal to better meet the needs of women of color. The well-being of women of color, their communities, and the future of California depends on it.
