A commentary on the proposed state budget by David Quakenbush of the Central Valley Health Network.
As the massive budget deficit casts an ominous shadow over
the state, Californians brace themselves for tough times as Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger proposes budget cuts to Medi-Cal and some of the state’s most
vital health care programs that provide critical services to millions of people
throughout the state.
Adopting the mantra of “fiscal responsibility” to shield himself
from taking any real responsibility,
the Governor has called for dramatic cuts to funding that supports community
clinic grant programs that include Expanded
Access to Primary Care, Seasonal/Agricultural/Migratory Workers and Rural
Health Services Development, all of which provide crucial services to
the people of the Central Valley.
The governor’s proposed budget translates to a 15 percent
cut ($4.5 million reduction) to the EAPC program,
a 10 percent cut (from $6.9 million) to the SAMW program, and another 10
percent cut (from $8.2 million) to the RHSD program. These cuts will directly
impact the community health centers that provide crucial health care services
through these grant programs, and sadly the effects of these cuts will be
clearly illustrated in the tens of thousands of patient visits throughout the
state that will no longer be covered by these programs.
And as these particular programs are tailored to help meet
the specific needs and unique characteristics of regions like the Central Valley,
at the end of the day, the real cuts cannot be measured by a budget line item
but in the quality of life for valley residents.
There is no doubt that at the end of the budget process many
programs that provide critical services and help define the future of
California will be casualties of the governor’s budget cuts. However, it is
important for our policy-makers to recognize that some services and programs
like those carried out by community health centers are simply services/programs
that California cannot afford to cut, as they not only provide cost-effective
primary and preventative health care services, but also provide tremendous cost
savings to the state and counties they operate in.
Interestingly enough, these budget cuts, which sends a
crippling blow to the work being done by community health centers, comes at a
time when the governor is looking for support for health care reform
legislation that he has negotiated with Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los
Angeles.
It is difficult to reconcile the actions of the governor’s
budget cuts to the rhetoric his administration often uses when stressing the
importance of passing health care reform legislation that will attempt to meet
the needs of the 6.7 million uninsured individuals in the state, when at the
same time his budget proposal cuts the very same funds to community health
centers that already provide access to valuable health care services to
approximately 3.6 million uninsured people in California — more than 50 percent
of the state’s uninsured population.
Perhaps during this critical time when the state’s fiscal
outlook is bleak our policy-makers should take a closer look at investing
resources into programs and services, such as those carried out by community
health centers, that have a proven track record of providing cost-effective
solutions to the state, along with increasing the quality of life and wellness
for millions of Californians.
David Quackenbush is chief executive officer of
the Central Valley Health Network.
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Get this. There isn't any money! When there isn't any money you have to make do with what you have or find ways of raising it from some other source. The gracy train has left the station.