Governor Newsom’s May revised budget repurposes $1.3 billion in cigarette taxes, ending the associated $300,000 per physician loan repayment program. Last year, 270 physicians benefited, including 38 psychiatrists. Average practice achieved 60% Medi-Cal – the targeted policy objective was 30% so, wildly successful. Supplemental payments to physicians for those patients are also under the axe, and that’s not all.
