This commentary was contributed by Alyssa Garcia and Eduardo Madrigal , members of the San Benito County Democratic Youth Committee. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent BenitoLink or other affiliated contributors. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
Introducing HR1
On July 4th, 2025, the United States Senate voted 51–50 for HR1, also referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The bill includes reductions to several federal programs, including CalFresh and Medicaid. These programs alone help over 12 million households across the country, or about 30 million people.
Although the bill was signed into effect in July, one of its defining characteristics is that it works in phases, taking away more with time. On October 1st, 2025, CalFresh will no longer give nutritional education on healthy eating to people across the state. While SNAP-Ed is one of the first subdivisions of CalFresh cut, the pattern can be seen across all impacted programs.
This also affects one of the most important federal programs for millions, Medicaid (which is Medi-Cal in California).
Changes Made to Medi-Cal
Work requirements:
HR1 adopts a requirement of at least 80 hours per month of employment, training, volunteer work, or education for those without dependents or disability, aged 19-64.
It is commonly thought these requirements are needed to prevent people from “leeching off the system,” but only 8% of recipients are unemployed. The most common reasons are inability—rather than unwillingness—to find work, retirement, and caring for dependents. States that have gone through this process—like Arkansas—saw no significant change in employment, as most recipients were already meeting the requirements.
Federal funding to states:
HR1 cuts $1 trillion from health care programs, including funding for Medi-Cal. This has led states to fend for themselves, resulting in cuts to optional services and eligibility. To combat this, some areas are introducing new local taxes to save hospitals.
Eligibility determinations:
Eligibility determinations for Medi-Cal will no longer be annual, but biannual. This will lead to an increased burden for staff processing paperwork, and patients themselves. In a study on heavy “red tape,” 92% of clinical outcomes were negatively impacted. This can cause delays, which in many cases can prove dangerous, especially to our most vulnerable populations.
Increase of Health Care Deserts
A health care desert is an area in which people do not have access to adequate health care services—a term that applies to San Benito. This is measured through lack of medical facilities, long wait times, high costs, and lack of health care workers and professionals. About 80% of counties are considered to be health care deserts; this includes about one third of the US population.
In 2023, about half—48%—of rural hospitals’ expenditures exceeded their financial intake, leading 92 of them to shut down. Currently, over 300 rural hospitals are at risk of closure. Due to HR1’s funding cuts, rural counties such as ours are projected to experience an increased difficulty in accessing medical services.
Lack of Preventative Care
With the increase of health care deserts, it becomes more difficult for patients to receive care. Preventative care is an integral aspect of health care as it allows for medical professionals to spot problems early on before a patient’s conditions get worse, and without this it leads to increased use of costly emergency rooms—and in worst cases, death—as many barriers to services exist.
Increased Cost of Services for All
Across the state, more hospitals are closing due to the increased cost of labor and supplies. To fight this, many hospitals are moving to privatization. While this may have some short-term reliefs, most communities experience negative long-term impacts. Patients may see a spike in costs, making it even more difficult for patients needing long-term treatments, and low-income families, to pay their medical bills. Increases in premiums are expected for those who don’t lose coverage, with Covered California recipients expecting an average of 97% increase.
Immigration
By kicking people off their medical insurance, the federal government is able to pocket money which will then be used to target marginalized groups such as immigrants. Starting in 2026, HR1 will appropriate $170 billion towards the expansion of immigrant detention centers and bonuses for ICE agents.
What Can You Do to Fight This?
Advocate for a single-payer health care system. Through this system, the government pays for everyone’s health care. This eliminates the need for private health insurance, which is extremely costly, and guarantees care for all.
Push for a more fair progressive tax system, in which the wealthy truly pay their share. HR1 reduces the maximum tax rate from 6% to 3.5% for the wealthiest, by 2032. Meanwhile, the cost of health care will only increase for everyone.
Vote YES on Prop 50. By passing Prop 50, California will add 5 more Democratic seats to the House of Representatives to offset Texas’s creating 5 additional Republican seats. If unsuccessful, it will become impossible to pass progressive legislation for healthcare.
BenitoLink invites all community members to share their ideas and opinions. By registering as a BenitoLink user in the top right corner of our home page and agreeing to follow our Terms of Use, you can write counter opinions or share your insights on current issues.
COMMENTARY: Effects of H.R.1: Local and Beyond
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This commentary was contributed by Alyssa Garcia and Eduardo Madrigal , members of the San Benito County Democratic Youth Committee. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent BenitoLink or other affiliated contributors. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
Introducing HR1
On July 4th, 2025, the United States Senate voted 51–50 for HR1, also referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The bill includes reductions to several federal programs, including CalFresh and Medicaid. These programs alone help over 12 million households across the country, or about 30 million people.
Although the bill was signed into effect in July, one of its defining characteristics is that it works in phases, taking away more with time. On October 1st, 2025, CalFresh will no longer give nutritional education on healthy eating to people across the state. While SNAP-Ed is one of the first subdivisions of CalFresh cut, the pattern can be seen across all impacted programs.
This also affects one of the most important federal programs for millions, Medicaid (which is Medi-Cal in California).
Changes Made to Medi-Cal
Work requirements:
HR1 adopts a requirement of at least 80 hours per month of employment, training, volunteer work, or education for those without dependents or disability, aged 19-64.
It is commonly thought these requirements are needed to prevent people from “leeching off the system,” but only 8% of recipients are unemployed. The most common reasons are inability—rather than unwillingness—to find work, retirement, and caring for dependents. States that have gone through this process—like Arkansas—saw no significant change in employment, as most recipients were already meeting the requirements.
Federal funding to states:
HR1 cuts $1 trillion from health care programs, including funding for Medi-Cal. This has led states to fend for themselves, resulting in cuts to optional services and eligibility. To combat this, some areas are introducing new local taxes to save hospitals.
Eligibility determinations:
Eligibility determinations for Medi-Cal will no longer be annual, but biannual. This will lead to an increased burden for staff processing paperwork, and patients themselves. In a study on heavy “red tape,” 92% of clinical outcomes were negatively impacted. This can cause delays, which in many cases can prove dangerous, especially to our most vulnerable populations.
Increase of Health Care Deserts
A health care desert is an area in which people do not have access to adequate health care services—a term that applies to San Benito. This is measured through lack of medical facilities, long wait times, high costs, and lack of health care workers and professionals. About 80% of counties are considered to be health care deserts; this includes about one third of the US population.
In 2023, about half—48%—of rural hospitals’ expenditures exceeded their financial intake, leading 92 of them to shut down. Currently, over 300 rural hospitals are at risk of closure. Due to HR1’s funding cuts, rural counties such as ours are projected to experience an increased difficulty in accessing medical services.
Lack of Preventative Care
With the increase of health care deserts, it becomes more difficult for patients to receive care. Preventative care is an integral aspect of health care as it allows for medical professionals to spot problems early on before a patient’s conditions get worse, and without this it leads to increased use of costly emergency rooms—and in worst cases, death—as many barriers to services exist.
Increased Cost of Services for All
Across the state, more hospitals are closing due to the increased cost of labor and supplies. To fight this, many hospitals are moving to privatization. While this may have some short-term reliefs, most communities experience negative long-term impacts. Patients may see a spike in costs, making it even more difficult for patients needing long-term treatments, and low-income families, to pay their medical bills. Increases in premiums are expected for those who don’t lose coverage, with Covered California recipients expecting an average of 97% increase.
Immigration
By kicking people off their medical insurance, the federal government is able to pocket money which will then be used to target marginalized groups such as immigrants. Starting in 2026, HR1 will appropriate $170 billion towards the expansion of immigrant detention centers and bonuses for ICE agents.
What Can You Do to Fight This?
BenitoLink invites all community members to share their ideas and opinions. By registering as a BenitoLink user in the top right corner of our home page and agreeing to follow our Terms of Use, you can write counter opinions or share your insights on current issues.