Health care leaders converge at State Capitol to urge Legislature: NO MORE HEALTH CARE CUTS in state
California Political Desk
August 25, 2008
Health care cuts will affect all Californians, turning state´s health care crisis into a medical emergency.
SACRAMENTO – As the Legislature considers budget alternatives, California health care providers, consumer groups and patients held a press conference on the State Capitol steps calling on the Legislature to restore state funding to California´s health care system and pass a balanced budget that protects California families, patients, employers and local governments from additional health care cuts.
"We are here today to say that any cuts to health care are unacceptable," said Richard Frankenstein, MD, President of the California Medical Association. "The state cannot balance the budget on the backs of the millions of Californians who rely on public programs for their health care. As doctors, we see the human cost that these decisions can have on the lives of our patients. They come to us sicker, or with advanced conditions which could have been prevented with regular care. This is tragic, and avoidable."
On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked the state's 10% reduction in Medi-Cal reimbursement rates. Despite the court ruling, California health care providers -- hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, adult day health care providers, dentists, and clinics – still face the very real possibility of additional devastating cuts to our health care system.
"It´s time for our elected state leaders to recognize what the federal court did earlier in the week -- that California´s healthcare system can´t afford any additional cuts. Additional cuts will only cause irreparable harm that will be felt by millions of Californians," said Ernie Powell, Associate State Director for AARP California.
Additionally, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other facilities are no longer receiving much-needed state funding because the state has not yet passed a budget.
"Our health care system serves all Californians, but that system is on financial life support," said Martha Vasquez, a radiology technician at St. Joseph´s Medical Center in Stockton. "It has already been cut to the bone and simply cannot withstand additional budget cuts."
Any additional cuts to our health care system would cause a ripple effect across California communities, putting lives on the line in fewer, overcrowded ERs, crippling local economies with billions of lost federal funds and economic activity, adding to the millions already uninsured and leaving hundreds of thousands of seniors and children without access to care.
"We call on the Governor and legislators to hold the line on additional cuts to our already overburdened health care system, to identify permanent revenue solutions that will keep our health care system adequately funded and to reject any mechanism that would force future, automatic cuts to health care," said Anthony Wright, Executive Director of Health Access California.
Participants in the press conference included two dozen statewide health care provider, patient, and consumer groups, including the California Medical Association; Service Employees International Union; AARP California; Health Access; California Hospital Association; California Pharmacists Association; Catholic Healthcare West; California Primary Care Association; California Association of Family Physicians; California Dentists Association; California Association of Adult Day Services; Planned Parenthood; California Society of Anesthesiologists; American College of Emergency Room Physicians (Cal-ACEP); National Multiple Sclerosis Society; California Optometrists Association; Southern CA HIV Advocacy Coalition; The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District IX – California; Children´s Specialty Care Coalition; DaVita Dialysis.
SACRAMENTO – As the Legislature considers budget alternatives, California health care providers, consumer groups and patients held a press conference on the State Capitol steps calling on the Legislature to restore state funding to California´s health care system and pass a balanced budget that protects California families, patients, employers and local governments from additional health care cuts.
"We are here today to say that any cuts to health care are unacceptable," said Richard Frankenstein, MD, President of the California Medical Association. "The state cannot balance the budget on the backs of the millions of Californians who rely on public programs for their health care. As doctors, we see the human cost that these decisions can have on the lives of our patients. They come to us sicker, or with advanced conditions which could have been prevented with regular care. This is tragic, and avoidable."
On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked the state's 10% reduction in Medi-Cal reimbursement rates. Despite the court ruling, California health care providers -- hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, adult day health care providers, dentists, and clinics – still face the very real possibility of additional devastating cuts to our health care system.
"It´s time for our elected state leaders to recognize what the federal court did earlier in the week -- that California´s healthcare system can´t afford any additional cuts. Additional cuts will only cause irreparable harm that will be felt by millions of Californians," said Ernie Powell, Associate State Director for AARP California.
Additionally, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and other facilities are no longer receiving much-needed state funding because the state has not yet passed a budget.
"Our health care system serves all Californians, but that system is on financial life support," said Martha Vasquez, a radiology technician at St. Joseph´s Medical Center in Stockton. "It has already been cut to the bone and simply cannot withstand additional budget cuts."
Any additional cuts to our health care system would cause a ripple effect across California communities, putting lives on the line in fewer, overcrowded ERs, crippling local economies with billions of lost federal funds and economic activity, adding to the millions already uninsured and leaving hundreds of thousands of seniors and children without access to care.
"We call on the Governor and legislators to hold the line on additional cuts to our already overburdened health care system, to identify permanent revenue solutions that will keep our health care system adequately funded and to reject any mechanism that would force future, automatic cuts to health care," said Anthony Wright, Executive Director of Health Access California.
Participants in the press conference included two dozen statewide health care provider, patient, and consumer groups, including the California Medical Association; Service Employees International Union; AARP California; Health Access; California Hospital Association; California Pharmacists Association; Catholic Healthcare West; California Primary Care Association; California Association of Family Physicians; California Dentists Association; California Association of Adult Day Services; Planned Parenthood; California Society of Anesthesiologists; American College of Emergency Room Physicians (Cal-ACEP); National Multiple Sclerosis Society; California Optometrists Association; Southern CA HIV Advocacy Coalition; The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District IX – California; Children´s Specialty Care Coalition; DaVita Dialysis.
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