Key facts
- Xavier Becerra aims to make bolstering clinics a cornerstone of his healthcare policy if elected governor.
- Becerra stated his goal is to ensure patients have insurance rather than relying on charity care.
- Governor Newsom's budget included $400 million in one-time funding for hospitals.
- Newsom previously expanded the state's healthcare safety net but later implemented cuts.
- Health advocates express hope for a new perspective under a potential Becerra governorship.
Xavier Becerra, a candidate for California governor, has indicated that improving healthcare access and affordability would be a central focus of his administration. He expressed a desire to bolster clinics and ensure patients have insurance, moving away from reliance on charity care. This contrasts with the recent actions of current Governor Gavin Newsom, whose final budget included $400 million in one-time funding for hospitals but also saw cuts to the state's healthcare safety net for undocumented immigrants.