Healthcare advocates spoke out on Tuesday in support of a series of bills in the California Legislature that are designed to keep people on Medi-Cal.

Nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts are expected over the next decade from the Trump administration's “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The state estimates 1.4 million Californians will lose coverage by 2028, mostly due to increased work requirements and eligibility checks.

Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins, D-San Diego, said the system is designed to save money by dropping Medi-Cal members tripped up by the paperwork.

"So let's just call it what it is, a selfish, evil political choice," she said. "hey are choosing to strip healthcare away from millions of people to benefit the wealthy and the powerful."

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Supporters of the cuts say they're necessary to fund other administration priorities, such as lower taxes for corporations and increased funding for immigration enforcement.

One bill under consideration would make sure California does not extend federal work requirements to state-funded Medi-Cal populations such as undocumented immigrants. Others aim to streamline Medi-Cal eligibility determinations to reduce the administrative burden, cap cost-sharing, and expand outreach to those impacted by federal changes.

Nancy Netherland, senior specialist for the nonprofit Family Voices of California, has two children with special needs. She said Medi-Cal is a lifeline.

"And Medi-Cal is not an abstract policy," she said. "It's therapies, medications, and wraparound services that allow children with complex healthcare needs to remain safely at home and in their communities."

California lawmakers must approve a balanced budget by the end of next month.

Whitney Francis, policy advocate with the Western Center on Law and Poverty, said the budget should protect the most vulnerable.

"Medi-Cal is one of California's strongest anti-poverty tools, providing essential healthcare for nearly 40% of the state's low-income working families," she said. "Yet H.R. 1 represents the largest funding cut in the history of the program."

Organizations cosponsoring these bills include the Western Center, Justice in Aging, the National Health Law Program and Health Access California. The bill to streamline eligibility is also supported by the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California and The Children’s Partnership.