The Assault on Medi-Cal

So they're planning to lower California's already devastatingly-low Medicaid reimbursement rates.

Wasn't this a big deal in 2008/2009? Oh yeah, it was. And what happened then? There was a lawsuit against the cuts filed by beneficiaries and providers that is currently on the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Except they're doing it again, signing a whopping 10% reduction.
 
California, in an attempt to ameliorate short-term budget woes, is shooting itself in the foot.

What will this do?  More doctors will stop taking Medi-Cal. This will force the state's poorest and most vulnerable populations (including pregnant women, children, the disabled, and the elderly) to put off needed care and instead make emergency room visits. This isn't saving us--I mean all of us, as taxpayers--any money. In fact, it will cost us more in the long-run, as all of us have to pay for emergency room care anyway, and when more people use the emergency room because of a lack of insurance (or access), hospitals are more likely to pass the costs on to those who DO have insurance, giving the insurance companies another excuse to hike up premiums by double digits.

California also seems to forget that PPACA will put even more people on Medicaid's rosters, starting in 2014. This is why they call a Medi-Cal card a "ticket to go search for a doctor" who will actually take it.  

Simply put, this is bad policy.   

There is only one positive thing. California has to demonstrate that these cuts would not damage access to care, and it seems nearly impossible to do so. Let's just hope the federal government does not approve these cuts, as they are in clear violation of its own laws. And let the Court rule on the side of the people.

This is an excellent appeal and summary of the public health side of the situation by the chief executive officer of the California Medical Association:  Doctors say Medi-Cal reimbursement is too low

This is a quick summary of what's going on in the courts:  Dems, Officials Voice Support for Suits Challenging Medicaid Cuts


Please, give your lawmakers a piece of your mind.