California Journal Features Articles on Health Care
The April issue of the California Journal features two articles addressing health care in the state:
- "Prescriptions for Health Care": The article, by freelance writer Stephen Robitaille, discusses proposals before the Legislature on providing universal coverage, reducing health care costs and addressing the Medi-Cal budget shortfall. According to the article, while most observers do not expect the proposals to become law in this legislative session because of the state budget deficit, many believe that this year's collection of proposals will lead to "serious reform" within the next one or two years (Robitaille, California Journal, April 2003).
- "Health Care's High Cost": The article, by San Jose Mercury News reporter Julie Sevrens Lyons, looks at some of the reasons behind the rising cost of health care. In the article, Assembly Health Committee Chair Dario Frommer (D-Glendale) says the health care system is in a "perfect storm," with increasing insurance premiums, the closure of emergency rooms, rising numbers of uninsured, HMO failures and a budget deficit that could undermine the overburdened public health care system (Sevrens Lyons, California Journal, April 2003).