Jasmeet Bains’ Fake Medi-Cal Attack Lacking Facts

Governor Gavin Newsom’s Medi-Cal program for low-income Californians is insolvent. We have Gavin Newsom to thank; he gifted free Medi-Cal coverage to every illegal immigrant in the state, costing  taxpayers $23 billion over 2 years, forcing Newsom to get both an emergency loan and a bailout. And it is well-established that Gov. Newsom wants to continue to give free healthcare to illegal immigrants, as the Globe has covered for some time now.

Governor Jerry Brown first expanded Medi-Cal to allow illegal alien children in 2016. Newsom expanded Medi-Cal to all illegal aliens residing in the state.

In 2025, Rep. Kevin Kiley confirmed this:

“That Gavin Newsom wants to give free healthcare to illegal immigrants is not speculation. He literally drove Medi-Cal insolvent by doing precisely that. The program cost California taxpayers $23 billion over 2 years, forcing Newsom to get both an emergency loan and a bailout.”

That Gavin Newsom wants to give free healthcare to illegal immigrants is not speculation. He literally drove Medi-Cal insolvent by doing precisely that.

The program cost California taxpayers $23 billion over 2 years, forcing Newsom to get both an emergency loan and a bailout. pic.twitter.com/aLrsRV5jDk

— Rep. Kevin Kiley (@RepKiley) September 30, 2025

Back in June 2025, we reported Gov. Newsom was bankrupting Medi-Cal, California’s state-run version of Medicaid. The Newsom Administration then quietly dropped a damning notification that they are taking a $3.44 BILLION loan to fund free healthcare for illegal immigrants,” he wrote. “The loan is being taken from tax dollars meant for healthcare providers.”

He then announced he planned to cut Medi-Cal to any poor or disabled elderly Californian who has $2,000 in “assets,” which is really diabolical.

In California, rental homes are very expensive, requiring renters to have enough on hand to cover future rent down payments, as well as emergency expenses and medical expenses not covered by Medi-Cal.

The average rent in San Francisco is $3,495. per month.

The average rent in Los Angeles is around $2,748 per month. A 2-bedroom apartment is $2,856 per month. Houses for rent in Los Angeles are significantly more expensive at $4,925 per month on average.

The average rent in San Diego is $3,063. per month.

The numbers we had at the time said Newsom had already cost taxpayers $10 billion to $12 billion. Rep. Kiley said it was $23 Billion last year, and noted that not one of the other 49 states covers illegal aliens on Medicaid plans. California and Gov. Newsom are the lone wolf on this boondoggle.

Which is particularly notable given Assemblywoman Jasmine Bains new political ad – she’s running for Congress against current Rep. David Valadeo:

“I’m Jasmine Baines, family doctor, daughter of immigrants. David Valadeo helped Trump cut Medi-Cal, hurting Valley families. In Congress, I’ll make healthcare a right, not a privilege. I’m Jasmine Baines, and I approve this message.”

At the 7 second mark the ad says: “Valadao helped Trump cut Media-Cal.”

Except he didn’t.

Medi-Cal, California’s state-run healthcare program for low income people, was bankrupted by Gavin Newsom. Newsom and the Legislature incrementally increased eligibility for Medi-Cal, as Dan Walters reported, topping out with a budget that expanded Medi-Cal to everyone still lacking coverage, mostly adult immigrants. And because of  funding emergency from state miscalculations as it cost California more than expected to provide illegals healthcare, as we reported last year. “The cost of Newsom’s policy of giving free coverage to every illegal immigrant in the state has ballooned to $9.5 billion, and he’s now asked for a $3.4 billion “loan” just to continue making payments for this month,” Kiley noted.

It was Governor Gavin Newsom who signed the 2025-26 state budget in June 2025, which included significant Medi-Cal cuts and restrictions, including…

• Enrollment freeze for new full-scope Medi-Cal coverage for undocumented/immigrant adults (ages 19+), starting January 2026.
• Monthly premiums for certain undocumented/immigrant enrollees starting in 2027.
• Elimination of dental coverage for some remaining enrollees in this group starting in July 2026.

Further more… The One Big Beautiful Bill Act does include some exemptions for the Medicaid work requirements, see page 237 and 238 of the bill text and here.

The bill essentially gives the option to and allows state Medicaid plans to allow individuals to be “exempt” from work requirements if the individual is experiencing “short term hardship event” during any given month.

The short term hardship event is defined as:

1. Receiving serious medical care
   1. Impatient hospital services
   2. Psychiatric care
   3. Nursing home care
   4. Outpatient care

2. Individual resides in a county (or equivalent area) that is declared a National Emergency or Disaster Area by POTUS.

1. 1. OR where the unemployment rate is over 8% or more than 1.5x the national unemployment rate.

CA-22 is made up of five counties: Kern (63%), Tulare (17%), Fresno (15%), Kings (6%) and Madera (>1%).

The unemployment rate in Kern County (Bakersfield) was 9.5% in March 2026.

The unemployment rate in Tulare County was 11.5% in March 2026.

The unemployment rate in Fresno MSA was 8.9% in March 2026.

The unemployment rate in Kings County was 9.9 percent in March 2026.

• The law allows states to request a hardship exception for individuals who live in counties with high unemployment rates. Specifically, the law permits states to request exemptions for individuals who reside in counties that have unemployment rates at or above 8% or below 8% but 1.5 or more times the national average unemployment rate. This exception is optional, but for states that request the exception and receive approval, all individuals who reside in counties that meet the criteria would be exempt from the work requirements for a specified period of time.

The language in the reconciliation package is similar to the statutory language that defines a waiver exemption to the work requirements in SNAP, which permits states to request exemptions for areas that have unemployment rates over 10% or that lack a sufficient number of jobs.

3. Individual must travel out of the area for an extended period of time to receive serious medical care.

The bill simply gives States the option to issue these short-term hardship waivers. As previously noted in conversations, the bill also establishes mandatory exemptions for pregnant women, people with serious medical issues, tribal members, parents/caregivers of a child under 13 years of age.

“The reforms in the OBBB do not target low-income children, individuals with a disability, or those who can work and choose to do so,” EPIC Executive Vice President Brittany Madni said in a statement. “These reforms simply ensure limited resources are focused on those who truly need them — Americans most vulnerable — by closing loopholes and strengthening accountability.”

The One Big Beautiful Bill incorporates a new work requirement for healthy, able-bodied recipients while adding extra vetting and eligibility checks to close loopholes exploited by fraudsters, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill also carves out a litany of exemptions for those genuinely unable to work, including parents/caretakers of children under age 14, disabled veterans, blind or physically disabled individuals, people with mental and developmental problems, those clinically addicted to controlled substances, and people with any other “serious or complex” medical conditions.

Illegal immigrants residing in California are receiving 1-out-of-4 dollars for MediCal program in the state general fund budget. David Valadeo had nothing to do with that.