Los Angeles Times Recommends Approval of Several Health-Related Bills
A Los Angeles Times editorial today recommends that Gov. Gray Davis (D) sign several health-related bills passed by the Legislature this year. The legislation includes:
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AB 1421: The bill, sponsored by Assembly member Helen Thomson (D-Davis), would allow relatives and friends of individuals with mental illness to petition courts to order them into outpatient treatment (California Healthline, 9/3). The legislation would benefit individuals "in need of help and unable to make rational decisions concerning care," the Times states (Los Angeles Times, 9/10).
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AB 2197: The bill, sponsored by Assembly member Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood), would expand Medi-Cal coverage to HIV-positive individuals who have not received an AIDS diagnosis (California Healthline, 7/1). "By giving patients access to drugs and care otherwise unavailable, the bill would extend their lives and on-the-job productivity," the Times states.
- AB 3006: The bill, sponsored by the Assembly Budget Committee, would restore an increase in Medi-Cal reimbursements for providers enacted last year but eliminated by Davis in May in his revised fiscal year 2002-2003 state budget plan. According to the Times, "Inadequate reimbursements are one reason hospitals are closing emergency departments and specialists refuse to be on call." Although Davis restored half the increase in the budget plan that he approved last week, he should sign AB 3006 to "finish the job," the Times states (Los Angeles Times, 9/10).