'Saving' or 'taking away' health coverage, Medicaid debate over the big beautiful bill in San Diego

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — As lawmakers are debating the Big Beautiful Bill in Washington D.C., conversations are going on about how it may impact healthcare in California, if passed.

The White House says the bill would strengthen Medicaid “for those who rely on it —pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families—while eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. The One Big Beautiful Bill removes illegal aliens, enforces work requirements, and protects Medicaid for the truly vulnerable.”

Those against the changes to Medicaid, including Director of State and Local Campaigns for Access to Care, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACSCAN) Hilary Goeckner.

About 12 million people may lose their health insurance and “two million of those patients are right here in California,” Goeckner added. “It’s terrifying, it’s devastating, we’re really going to lose progress in the fight against cancer.”

While Medicaid is taking a center spotlight in the debate over the Big Beautiful Bill, one of the big concerns for Goeckner are the patients currently getting cancer treatments.

“As a result of this bill, cancer patients and survivors will lose their health insurance,” she said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has claimed the bill would cut an estimated $28 billion in federal funding for the state, where immigration status is not a requirement for coverage.

Congressman Darrel Issa, who represents portions of San Diego County voted to pass the bill through the House.

“For the last four years, Medicaid was ripped off to the tune of more than 100 billion in criminal fraud, while tens of thousands were improperly enrolled in the program and redirected critical resources. My GOP colleagues and I repeatedly called for reform, but the Biden Administration and Democrats did nothing,” Rep. Issa said. “That’s why Republicans in Congress aren’t cutting anything — we’re saving Medicaid. We’re strengthening the program by ending waste, eliminating fraud, and ensuring Medicaid will be there for the American people who need it.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt doubling down on the message that this bill strengthens Medicaid coverage.

“It ensures that able bodied Americans who can work 20 hours a week are actually doing so, and that will therefore strengthen and protect those benefits for Americans who need it, as well as cutting out the waste fraud and abuse as well as getting 1.4 million illegal aliens off of the program,” Leavitt said.

“Millions of people in our communities regardless of their immigration status, regardless of their cancer status, are going to lose health insurance,” Goeckner said. “That is not about cutting back on fraud or abuse, that is taking away health insurance from people really need it.”

Lawmakers are expected to vote on the bill in the next few days, and have a goal of sending it to President Trump’s desk by July 4.