California - cost and budget

An analysis of the annual cost of implementing “Free PGS for All” in California, compared to the state’s overall budget:

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1. 🧠 California’s Annual Budget (2025–26)

Total State Spending (general fund + special funds): ≈ $322 billion  

Health & Human Services (HHS) budget alone: ≈ $283.9 billion total (includes federal funds)  

Behavioral Health (mental health):

MHSA “state‑directed” spending: ~$153 million  

Plus new $6.38 billion bond for behavioral health infrastructure (Prop 1; spread over years)  

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2. 💵 Estimated Annual Cost for Free PGS

Let’s run a plausible pilot model:

IVF cycles/year in CA: ~30,000

Cost per PGS + counseling: $10,000

Annual cost: 30,000 × $10,000 = $300 million

Expanding to broader prevention (including non-IVF early risk screening) might double it:

Estimated total annual program cost: $500 million–$1 billion

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3. ⚖️ Comparison to Existing Budgets

Category Annual Cost (approx.)

PGS for IVF (state‑wide) $300 million

PGS + early screening (all) $500 million–$1 billion

State-directed Mental Health $153 million

Behavioral Health Bond (Prop 1) $6.38 billion (multi-year)

Total State Budget $322 billion

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4. ✅ Policy Insight

Even a full-scale PGS program (~$1 billion/year) is < 0.5% of California’s total annual budget.

It is about 3–7× larger than current dedicated state mental health spending (~$150 million), but still affordable given the state’s priorities.

PGS funding could potentially be phased in alongside Prop 1 implementation, mental health expansions, or integrated within HHS budgets.

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🎯 Recommendation

A pilot $300 million IVF-based PGS program is realistic and financially viable.

If scaled to broader population coverage (~$500–1 billion), it remains a small fraction of the state’s capacity.

These costs are well within reach, especially for wealthy states like California.

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