Physicians Decry Cuts to Medi-Cal Payments in Governor’s Budget Plan
Cuts to Medi-Cal payments to physicians in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's (R) fiscal year 2008-2009 budget proposal would reduce the availability of specialists, according to physicians lobbying against the cuts, Capital Public Radio's "KXJZ News" reports (Russ, "KXJZ News," Capital Public Radio, 1/21).
Schwarzenegger's FY 2008-2009 proposal would cut about $1.1 billion in state funds from Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, partly by cutting reimbursements to health care providers by 10%. The proposal also would eliminate Medi-Cal coverage of:
- Chiropractic care;
- Dental services for adults;
- Podiatry; and
- Vision and other services (California Healthline, 1/15).
Physicians recently spent a day in Sacramento to oppose the proposal.
Pediatrician Anda Kuo of UC-San Francisco Medical Center said, "Patients with complicated conditions can't get into a specialist and have to come to the emergency room, and we all know that that's not cost effective."
Schwarzenegger says across-the-board cuts are the fairest way to close the state budget gap ("KXJZ News," Capital Public Radio, 1/21).
Audio and a transcript of the segment are available online. This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.