To An Area Where Medi-Cal Exceeded Expectations, What Does Repeal Mean?
Santa Barbara County has seen a 68 percent increase in all Medi-Cal enrollment over pre-health law levels. It also stands to lose millions in funding if it's repealed.
Coastal View News:
Health Care Jitters: Life After Obamacare?
One in 10 county residents now has health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, state and county records show. The federal funding that came with it has breathed new life into at least 12 South Coast clinics serving low-income residents. A repeal of the Affordable Care Act could jeopardize up to $140 million per year in federal funding that pays for the Medi-Cal expansion in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, said Bob Freeman, who administers the program as the CEO of CenCal Health. Nearly one in three Santa Barbara County residents — and more than one in three statewide — are now enrolled in Medi-Cal, getting free or low-cost care. “Cutting back on the spending does not cut back on the need,” Freeman said. “It would be a setback for our mission.” (Burns, 2/15)
In other health law news —
Capital Public Radio/KXJZ:
A Look Into An ACA-Created Teaching Health Center
A number of programs around the country were created under the healthcare law. For example: teaching health centers. This is a physician residency program aimed at increasing the number of doctors in underserved areas — including rural communities. One such center is in Redding — a rural Northern California city nestled at the foot of the Shasta Cascades — where two graduating doctors share a peek of the program's day-to-day operations. (Jeong Perry, 2/15)