Health Policy Changes in the 2002-2003 California Budget

October 2002 Health Policy Changes in the 2002-2003 California Budget Prepared by the California HealthCare Foundation's Medi-Cal Policy Institute Based on Research by the California Budget Project IntroductionCalifornia Governor Gray Davis signed the 2002-03 Budget Act into law on September 5, 2002 - some 67 days into the new fiscal year. The record-setting budget delay was caused by partisan differences in the Legislature over how to close a budget deficit that grew from just over $12 billion in January, 2002 to nearly $24 billion in May.This issue brief describes how the budget gap was closed . . .