Madison Aument: For 91.9 KVCR News, I’m Madison Aument and this is Economics IE.This week I’m bringing you a rundown of economics stories across the state.First… a story from our partners at CalMatters. Under California law, hospitals are required to make financial assistance programs available to lower income patients. But many patients don’t know about them. A bill advancing in the state Legislature would make it easier for people who qualify to get this support. CalMatters’ Ana Ibarra explains…
Ana Ibarra: If the bill passes, some people would automatically be eligible for hospital financial assistance. That includes... unhoused people and people who are already on safety net programs like food stamps. Hospitals would also have to screen certain patients... including those on Covered California... for financial support eligibility before sending them a bill. Around 4 in 10 Californians are carrying medical debt according to theCalifornia Health Care Foundation. If the bill is signed into law, the earliest it could be enacted is July 2027. The California Hospital Association opposes the bill and is awaiting more possibleamendments.
Madison Aument: Ana Ibarra covers health for our California Newsroom partner, CalMatters. And now… let’s talk about gas prices. Southern California motorists have been cruising through a summer of lower gas prices. There have been five weeks of declining pump prices. The Automobile Club of Southern California finds the numbers are now holding steady. In Riverside, the average per-gallon price is $4.31, which is 25 cents lower than a year ago. The average price for 87 octane regular gasoline in California is $4.48.
A spokesman for AAA said, “even with strong summer demand and a slight increase in crude oil price, prices are holding steady.”
For decades, Pacific Boulevard in Huntington Park has been the place to buy quinceañera dresses. But sales are so low since immigration raids began in June that some stores may close. Adolfo Guzman Lopez reports.
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez: There’s a cluster of shops along the boulevard selling princess-like dresses for the 15-year-old girl coming-of-age party. Morteza Boutique is one of them. Manuela Rivera is manager there.
Manuela Rivera: “When business ok… around 20 families on the weekend.”
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez: But now only about 3–4 families show up. People are afraid to leave their houses, she said, but they’re also cutting expenses, afraid that a family member will lose their job. For LAist, I’m Adolfo Guzman-Lopez.
Madison Aument: Housing discrimination has figured in the immigration raids being carried out across California. Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a consumer alert reminding landlords that it is illegal to harass or retaliate against a tenant by disclosing their immigration status to law enforcement. He says “California tenants, no matter their immigration status, have a right to safe housing.”
Join us again next week for Economics IE. You can find this segment on our website at kvcrnews.org/econie. Economics IE is supported by the Nowak Family. For KVCR News, I’m Madison Aument.
