Vital Times: The CSA Podcast
Dive into a world of insightful and engaging content with the California Society of Anesthesiologists' podcast, Vital Times! Tune in every second Tuesday of the month with your hosts Ludwig Lin, MD, and Rita Agarwal, MD, FAAP, FASA, to explore a variety of topics that are not only educational and experiential but also inspirational and entertaining. Whether you're looking to stay informed on the latest in anesthesia, learn from experts in the field, or simply enjoy some captivating stories, Vital Times is your go-to source. Join our community of listeners and enrich your knowledge and experience with every episode!
*Views expressed in the podcast are those of the individual guests and hosts.
Vital Times: The CSA Podcast
Federal Health Care Cuts Effects on Rural California Anesthesia Services
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When Congress celebrated July 4 by enacting House Resolution 1 (known as H.R. 1 or the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”), experts warned of massive impacts on Medicaid programs nationwide and the more than 70 million people who rely on them.
H.R. 1 cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid, the largest funding reduction in the program’s 60-year history. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that by 2034, as many as 10 million individuals nationwide will become uninsured as numerous new eligibility rules are imposed in Medicaid and ACA programs.
The Medicaid program, known as Medi-Cal in California, covers more than half of the state’s children, 2.2 million seniors and people with disabilities, 1 in 5 working Californians, and millions of other people with low incomes. H.R. 1 is expected to cut $30 billion a year in federal funding from Medi-Cal, reducing overall access to care and possibly pushing some safety net providers into dire straits, according to the California Budget and Policy Center. Up to 3.4 million state residents could lose coverage, the center said. As the uninsured population rises, more medical bills will go unpaid, cutting revenue for California’s health care safety net.
Join my guests today who will explain the impact this will have on rural healthcare in California and the effect on anesthesiology services.
Charley Yan is a fourth-year medical student at UC Davis with a background in Medicaid policy. Before medical school, he helped drive California’s Medicaid expansion efforts and has since analyzed coverage and safety-net policies across multiple states.
Mary Morales is an anesthesiologist at Stanford. She is the current vice chair of the CSA Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee (JEDI).
Naileshni Singh (pronounced Na-Lesh-Knee Sing) is a pain interventionalist with a background in Anesthesiology from the University of California, Davis. She is the current chair of the California Society of Anesthesiologist's Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee (JEDI).
Resources:
https://csahq.org/2025/09/02/federal-funding-cuts-threaten-rural-californias-health-anesthesia-care/