For Californians Drowning in Healthcare Costs, Governor’s Race Offers Few Answers

In California, healthcare costs are rising faster than income and inflation, and 4 in 10 adults in the state say they’re paying down medical debt. With the governor’s race in full swing, it’s still not clear what the candidates would do to fix it.

By: Christine Mai-Duc

Outlets: KFF Health News

Published: October 30, 2026

Words: 1,610

Last Updated: 1 week ago

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When Ashley Porter began slurring her speech one October day four years ago, doctors suspected a stroke. A spinal tap, an MRI, dozens of blood draws, another MRI, and a night spent at the hospital were followed, finally, by an answer: Porter had multiple sclerosis.

Her shock turned to outrage, she said, when she received the roughly $180,000 hospital bill, even though insurance covered most of it.

Porter and her husband have insurance through two …

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