💊 California Doubles Drug Spending Since 2018—Weight Loss Meds and Illegal Immigration Driving Budget Blowout California’s drug spending under Medi-Cal has nearly doubled—from $4 billion in 2018–2019 to a projected $7.9 billion in 2023–2024, with a large chunk fueled by: 🚨 Exploding use of high-cost weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy 🌐 Expanded coverage for undocumented immigrants, now costing taxpayers $8.4 billion annually The result? A massive $3.44 billion shortfall, forcing the state to borrow funds just to keep its Medicaid system afloat. 📣 JSA2026 Campaign Response: “California is burning through billions while New York watches and copies. We can’t fix healthcare by handing out blockbuster drugs and blank checks. Taxpayers are not ATMs—and public health should mean affordable access, not open-ended spending.” Our New York Plan: 🧬 Prioritize preventive care and nutrition over designer drugs 🔒 Tighten eligibility audits for all public programs 💊 Encourage generic alternatives for costly name-brand prescriptions 🛑 No blank checks for non-citizens while New Yorkers struggle to afford insulin #California #Medicaid #DrugSpending #Ozempic #MediCal #IllegalImmigration #HealthCareCrisis #JSA2026 #BETTRNews #TaxpayerAlert #NYBudget #BorderPolicy #WeightLossDrugs #StopTheBleeding #NYDeservesBETTR 🔗 Source: www.politico.com/news/2025/03/12/california-medicaid-shortfall 📅 April 23, 2025 📞 Campaign Contact: (516) 586-0660 📧 Email: jaysarnold@icloud.com 🗽 "I’m not a good candidate. I’m the right one." https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/ca-drug-spending-doubled-due-weight-loss-drugs-illegal-immigrants?utm_source=mux&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=social-media-autopost