Danielle Velling depends on monthly injections to keep her severe asthma at bay in California’s Central Valley, one of the most polluted regions in the U.S., where asthma rates exceed those in other parts of the state. She receives the medication thanks to Medicaid, the government-funded insurance program, known in California as Medi-Cal. But now she worries she could lose that insurance.
Concern about cuts to health care prompted Velling, and dozens of others, to spend a record hot evening last month campaigning for upstart Democrat Randy Villegas. The college professor and local school board member aims to unseat longtime Republican Rep. David Valadao in a congressional race where access to health care has become a central issue.
