California allocates record spending for Medi-Cal, CalFresh

Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid, received $219.7 billion from the budget, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law. Roughly $46.9 billion of that is from the state’s general fund.

In-home support services, which many Californians with disabilities rely on, got $33.9 billion this year. Roughly $12.9 billion of that is from the general fund.

CalFresh, known in the rest of the country as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, was allocated $4.6 billion in the state budget this year, with $1.9 billion coming from the general fund. An additional $11.9 billion comes from the federal government, according to the final version of the state’s budget.

“The investments that are being made are going to help meet people’s basic needs,” Adriana Ramos-Yamamoto, senior policy fellow at the California Budget & Policy Center, told The Center Square on Thursday. “Medi-Cal, CalFresh, in-home support services are all programs that rely on both state and federal funding, and any changes in federal funding that we have seen more recently have significant implications for our state budget and for services that are available for all Californians.”

Several Democratic lawmakers told The Center Square on Thursday that the allocations made to those three programs in particular addressed needs created by more than $1 trillion in federal budget cuts from the federal government’s 2025-26 budget, H.R. 1, often known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

State backfilling of taxpayer-funded services impacted by federal budget cuts was a common topic of conversation among California lawmakers as debate continued over how to bolster public services, according to previous reporting by The Center Square. Conversations continued for months as legislators grappled with allocating enough money for Californians who rely on those public services at the same time the Golden State is facing a multi-year budget deficit.

“The State of California is doing all that we can to ensure our residents can still access health care and food, boosting state funding to the extent possible to offset harmful federal cuts,” Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, D-Cupertino and a member of the Assembly Budget Committee and Health Committee, told The Center Square via email on Thursday. “We cannot print money the way the federal government can, but it is a moral imperative to make sure no one dies for lack of access to health care and no kid goes to bed hungry.”

Advocates pushed for California’s politicians to allocate enough money to pay for a CalFresh electronic benefit transfer program that deposits additional money into CalFresh recipients’ accounts to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. That program was allocated $20 million after lawmakers secured funding to pay for roughly three to four months worth of the program, Denisse Becerra, senior policy advocate for nonprofit organization Fullwell, told The Center Square.

“Thankfully, with the $20 million, it should be able to come back,” Becerra said of the program, which stopped operations on June 30 because of lack of funding. “The timing of that is not yet determined, but that’s where we are right now.”

The $20 million is well under the $36 million allocated to the program in the 2025-26 budget passed last year. It would take roughly $65 million from the state budget to keep the program operating year-round, Becerra added.

In-home support services, which Republican lawmakers feared would see a $367.7 million cut from the state budget earlier this year, were a priority for legislators who wanted to see services for seniors and the disabled preserved in the state budget. Multiple lawmakers told The Center Square via email on Thursday that continuing funding for those services would enable hundreds of thousands of people to continue receiving care that many described as non-negotiable.”

“IHSS, in particular, allows family caregivers and care providers to remain in the workforce by giving loved ones the support they need to live safely at home, unlocking economic opportunity for caregivers while preserving dignity and independence for those receiving care,” Darshana Patel, D-San Diego and a member of the Assembly Health Committee, told The Center Square on Thursday.

Republican lawmakers did not respond Thursday to The Center Square's request for comment.