Tipsheet

California Democrats Just Voted to Raise Healthcare Costs by Almost 97 Percent. Guess Why.

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  June 23, 2026 8:30 AM

Democrats love to scream about the healthcare crisis, how unaffordable premiums are, and that we have to 'do something' about it. That solution, of course, is always socialized medicine, which will always make things worse by design. But for people who worry about healthcare costs, Democrats continually vote to make healthcare more expensive.

California Democrats did just that, voting to raise healthcare premiums in the state by up to 97 percent in some cases.

Here's more:

CA State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio today blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative Democrats for approving a state budget that will increase health insurance costs on California families already struggling under the state’s cost-of-living crisis.

“California families are already getting crushed by the cost of living, but CA Democrats have voted to increase their already high healthcare premiums – all so illegal immigrants can receive free health coverage,” DeMaio said.

On June 15, CA Democrats voted down a budget amendment offered by DeMaio and backed unanimously by Assembly Republicans that would have restored premium subsidies for middle class families.

Without these subsidies some families will see their premiums almost DOUBLE – with the average premiums under Covered California increasing by up to 97%.

On top of rejecting DeMaio’s proposed premium subsidies, Democrats imposed a massive MCO premium tax that will cost the typical family of four $425 per year.

DeMaio’s amendment would have funded the premium subsidies for CA middle class families by cutting the free healthcare for illegal immigrants.

DeMaio pointed out that California Democrats could have addressed the issue, but prefer to blame skyrocketing costs on Republicans and Donald Trump. “When offered a chance to provide a complete backfill for reduced federal health premium subsidies, CA Democrats voted the proposal down – so they are now exclusively to blame for any increased premium costs on families,” DeMaio said.

And it gets worse.

DeMaio points out there are things voters can do.

Democrats do want to protect citizens.

"Why do these new immigrants get all these perks?" Fern asked.

California Democrats don't care about legal immigrants, either.

For Democrats, the fleecing of the taxpayer never, ever ends.

And Gavin Newsom wants to take this policy national.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli also said California is going broke because of this.

"@DrOzCMS and the Trump administration have audited the books and found that California improperly claimed over $1 billion in federal Medicaid funds to cover non-emergency care for illegal immigrants (money that federal law never authorized)," Essayli wrote. "CMS told California it owes the federal government $2 billion and has already successfully recouped half of it."

And that's why they're trying to blame this on Trump and Republicans.