California HealthCare Foundation Commits $10 Million for Loans to Safety-Net Clinics

July 7, 2009 — The California HealthCare Foundation has announced it will make $10 million available to the Emergency Working Capital Loan Fund, a low-interest loan pool designed to help ensure California's safety-net clinics provide uninterrupted care.

A record $24 billion budget shortfall threatens the flow of government reimbursement dollars to the state's community health centers from Medi-Cal, California's insurance program for low-income families. During previous budget delays, the state was able to draw on a small reserve fund to continue making Medi-Cal payments to community health centers and other institutional providers. But in the current environment, those payments are in jeopardy.