by: Abby Coven

News Editor

This summer, Congress passed H.R. 1, enacting significant funding cuts to the entire healthcare system. The local impact would be a devastating blow to Santa Clara County’s health and hospital system. Due to President Trump’s stance, the County anticipates losing over one billion dollars in federal funding. In response, the County Board of Supervisors voted to add a five-year, temporary sales tax, known as Measure A, on the Nov. 4 special election ballot to lessen the impact of the funding cuts. Measure A is a short-term fix to ensure that public hospitals and clinics stay open.

Santa Clara County has the state’s second largest public hospital system, including four hospitals, 15 health clinics, two of the Bay Area three trauma centers, and the only regional burn center in the Bay Area. The County’s health system serves one in four residents and accounts for nearly half of all emergency room visits in the County. Specialty medical services like burn and stroke care are at risk, along with critical mental health and substance use support. The public hospitals at risk of closure or reduced medical services are Valley Medical Center and O’Connor Hospital in central San Jose, Regional Medical Center in East San Jose, and St. Louise Hospital in rural Gilroy.

The federal cuts would reduce essential programs for low-income residents, specifically Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, and CalFresh, the state’s food assistance program. An estimated 500,000 Medi-Cal recipients could lose coverage. Hospitals must provide care to all people regardless of insurance status. When they treat uninsured patients, they bear the full cost without reimbursement. The resulting funding shortfalls “place a burden on the entire system,” noted Kylie Clark, Measure A Campaign Manager. She added, “When hospitals close, patients don’t disappear. They go to other ERs and clinics, placing a strain on private and public healthcare.”

Additionally, other important safety net services like housing, job training, and child care support would be cut if the measure fails. With more bureaucratic red tape and added requirements, the federal government would save money because fewer people would be eligible for Medi-Cal and CalFresh, safety net programs they need.

Measure A would add a sales tax of five-eighths of a percent for every dollar spent and cover approximately one-third of the County’s projected budget deficit. For the average household, the cost is estimated at 82 dollars a year, or seven dollars a month. Clark explained, “The sales tax is only on retail non-essential goods, meaning it doesn’t touch groceries, childcare, healthcare, education, or rent.” Access to healthcare is a lifeline that keeps tens of thousands of residents healthy and stable. If approved, Measure A would go into effect on April 1, 2026, and would expire after five years in April 2031.

(Sources: SJ Spotlight, KTVU, Mercury News)