South L.A. Clinics Could Lose Funds To Shore Up Health Agency Budget
Public-private clinics that treat the uninsured and Medi-Cal beneficiaries in South Los Angeles could receive dramatically less funding from Los Angeles County's tobacco settlement funds than projected earlier this year, the Los Angeles Daily Journal reports.
The clinics receive some government funding but are privately operated.
In April, the county Board of Supervisors approved a measure to channel $45 million in tobacco settlement money to the clinics, but that appropriation might be scaled back to $3.5 million to help address the county Department of Health Services' budget deficit.
County DHS' most recent budget indicates that $41.6 million will be counted as "one-time funds to address the budget deficit" and $3.5 million for public-private partnerships.
County supervisors will consider the proposal in a hearing today (George, Los Angeles Daily Journal, 9/16).