Editorial Urges California Officials To Bolster Funding for Public Health Systems

"[California] and the federal governments can't realize the full potential of [health care]reform unless they reach a fair agreement on a new five-year financing deal to reimburse public health systems ... that treat Medi-Cal patients," a San Jose Mercury News editorial states. Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program. It argues that California should "invest more in the system because federal spending increases exponentially as states step up," adding, "Investing in them will ultimately save billions in emergency room and hospital care costs."

• "Mercury News Editorial: California's Public Hospitals Need Fair Financing Deal" (San Jose Mercury News, 3/6).