Californians for Patient Care Deeply Concerned Governor Browns May Budget Proposal Will Further Harm States Most Vulnerable Patients
The following statement is attributed to Carmella Gutierrez, president
of Californians for Patient Care:
Californians for Patient Care understands the fiscal challenges the
state is facing and the difficult decisions Governor Jerry Brown has to
make when considering the states economic position. We are,
nonetheless, extremely disheartened to see that the governor is
proposing nearly $500 million of additional cuts to the states
healthcare system in his May budget revise proposal.
The governor is proposing roughly $400 million in additional
reimbursement cuts to Medi-Cal service providers. When healthcare
providers Medi-Cal payments are cut, it means fewer service providers
will likely accept Medi-Cal patients, and fewer Medi-Cal patients will
get the care they need. Though budget solutions must be balanced, we
believe the health of the states most vulnerable and poorest patients
should not suffer.
Californias children are heavy recipients of Medi-Cal services and
anything that reduces access to Medi-Cal services could greatly
compromise the future health of a generation. We talk with patients
every day and they tell us how hard it is already to get the care they
need, when they need it. We wholeheartedly believe if these proposed
cuts are enacted, millions of Californians will lose access to an
incredibly important lifeline in the form of affordable, basic
healthcare.
Californians for Patient Care will continue to inform Californians of
the affordable healthcare resources in their communities, but we
recognize that those resources will likely be extremely strained as a
result of these proposed budget cuts.
Californians for Patient Care is a nonprofit organization based in
Sacramento dedicated to protecting the interests of patients and
ensuring all California consumers have fair and equitable access to high
quality healthcare. For more information, visit www.calpatientcare.org.
