CMA Endorses Ballot Propositions 1A, 1B, 1C

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 19 May 2009 - 7:00 PDT

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The California Medical Association announced it is endorsing propositions 1A, 1B and 1C in the statewide special election on Tuesday.

"Health Care spending, including Medi-Cal and Healthy Families, is the largest unprotected section of the state budget," said Dr. Dev GnanaDev, a trauma surgeon and president of the California Medical Association. "In this budget crisis, no program is safe. But, health care will be hit particularly hard if these propositions do not pass."

California residents have voted to protect education (Prop 98), transportation (Prop 42) and local government (Prop 1A of 2004). Therefore, when budget deficits arise, health care - Medi-Cal and Healthy Families specifically - is often targeted for cuts.

Medi-Cal provides health care for more than 6 million low-income Californians, including 3.1 million children under the age of 18 and 850,000 senior citizens. Poor rates of reimbursements for doctors - Medi-Cal's provider rates are among the lowest in the nation - already severely restrict access to care for patients served by the program.

The failure to fully fund Medi-Cal has led to well-documented shortages of providers, many of whom simply cannot afford to participate more vigorously in the program. More cuts would further reduce access to primary and preventive care, sending more Medi-Cal patients to costly and overcrowded emergency rooms.

If Propositions 1A, 1B, and 1C all fail, a looming $15 billion budget deficit will increase by $5 billion. On Thursday, the governor said if all budget-related ballot propositions are rejected by voters Tuesday, he will propose $600 million in additional health and human service cuts.

"These measures will help us get through the state's fiscal crisis, and on behalf of California's physicians, I urge voters to join us in supporting Propositions 1A, 1B and 1C on Tuesday," Dr. GnanaDev concluded.

The California Medical Association represents more than 35,000 physicians in all modes of practice and specialties. CMA is dedicated to the health of all patients in California.

Source
California Medical Association