Behind every policy debate in Sacramento and Washington, there are real people whose access to health care hangs in the balance. That’s the story CalMatters set out to tell over the past year, as sweeping cuts to Medi-Cal and federal health programs began reshaping care for millions of Californians — including many across the Inland Empire and greater Southern California who rely on the safety net.
The upheaval started almost immediately after President Trump’s second term began. An executive order signed on his first day in office wiped out billions in federal funding, striking clinics and hospitals, maternal health initiatives for Black families, HIV prevention efforts, and vaccination programs serving low-income children.
California had spent years building toward something close to universal health coverage. But Republican lawmakers had long warned that the state’s Medicaid expansion — known here as Medi-Cal — was financially unsustainable. When Congress took up the fight over extending Trump-era tax cuts, health care spending became an obvious target.
“As the old adage goes, why do you rob banks? That’s where the money is,” said Mark Peterson, a senior fellow at UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research. “Why do you go after health care? That’s where the money is.”
As a reporter covering health care, the pressing question wasn’t just about dollar figures — it was about consequences. What decisions would clinics and hospitals be forced into once funding dried up? And what would happen to patients who depend on Medi-Cal if their coverage disappeared?
To capture that human toll, CalMatters turned to documentary filmmaking, a medium that can convey urgency and emotion in ways text alone sometimes cannot. The outlet had already used video reporting to document mass immigration enforcement raids in Kern County, working alongside Evident Media and the investigative group Bellingcat. This time, the focus turned to health care.
Reporters connected with Jim Mangia, president and CEO of St. John’s Community Health, which operates a network of clinics across South Los Angeles offering free and reduced-cost services. Mangia and his organization had been outspoken from the start, publicly releasing federal grant termination notices and pledging to continue serving transgender patients, hate-crime survivors and other vulnerable populations whose care faced defunding. St. John’s also assisted California Attorney General Rob Bonta in recovering funds the Trump administration had attempted to cut.
Mangia gave CalMatters access to patients and staff, and over several months, reporters and filmmakers built relationships built on trust. The crew joined St. John’s street medicine team on outreach visits to MacArthur Park — the same location where federal immigration agents had reportedly ordered outreach workers to halt care at gunpoint months earlier. During one filming session, thieves broke into the crew’s vehicle and stole equipment, though the memory cards containing months of footage survived.
As filming continued, Congress passed and Trump signed the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, delivering the largest cuts to Medicaid in the program’s history. The legislation is expected to slash nearly $1 trillion in health spending over the next decade, largely through new work requirements that experts warn will strip coverage from people who remain eligible. State officials estimate California alone could lose roughly $30 billion annually — about 15% of current Medi-Cal spending.
“To take care of someone and then strip that away is more damaging than to have never had the help in the first place,” said Jesse Hoagland, a physician assistant interviewed for the project.
The stakes were deeply personal for patients like Maria Gomez, who credits Medi-Cal-funded services with helping her transition from homelessness into stable housing. Gomez lives with chronic seizures and mobility challenges, and her case manager said losing coverage could send her back onto the streets.
The documentary also followed St. John’s leadership as they confronted tens of millions of dollars in lost federal and state funding, lobbying lawmakers in both Sacramento and Washington for relief. Meanwhile, St. John’s and other Los Angeles County health organizations pushed for a local solution: a new sales tax measure on the June ballot aimed at generating revenue for health programs.
The measure appeared to be failing on election night but ultimately passed by a narrow margin, buoyed by strong support in the county’s lower-income neighborhoods despite opposition from wealthier areas such as Beverly Hills. The tax is projected to generate roughly $1 billion annually for health care services.
That’s where the documentary concludes — but the story isn’t over.
Health experts caution that reduced insurance coverage will translate into fewer available services, longer wait times and rising costs for patients across the board. Even with the new tax revenue, Los Angeles County health officials acknowledge that projected needs still outpace expected funding by hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Elsewhere, voters in Contra Costa County rejected a similar health care tax measure during the same election cycle. Contra Costa and California’s other 56 counties now face limited options for closing the gap, with difficult decisions likely ahead.
CalMatters is continuing its reporting on how these cuts are playing out in communities throughout the state, including here in the Inland Empire. Readers who have relied on Medi-Cal, or who are concerned about losing coverage, are encouraged to share their experiences — their stories may help shape future coverage of this ongoing crisis.
Original source: CalMatters
