The president of the California Medical Association, Dev A. GnanaDev, issued the following statement today in regards to the announced state budget deal:

"The deep cuts to vital health care programs that are contained in this budget deal are unacceptable. This plan takes dead aim at California's most vulnerable residents - children, the elderly and the poor - at the time of their greatest need.

"As a trauma surgeon at a public hospital, I know exactly what this means: A huge increase in the number of people visiting overcrowded and expensive emergency rooms for care. The drastic reductions planned for Medi-Cal, the Healthy Families Program and other essential safety net programs are fiscally unwise.

"As the Los Angeles Times recently reported, these health care cuts will result in far greater costs for taxpayers over the long term because patients served by these programs will be forced into nursing homes, emergency rooms and other more costly alternatives.

"Lastly, this dramatic downsizing in health care assistance adds another big burden for federal lawmakers who are doing their level best to pass meaningful health care reform.

"For all these reasons, CMA has grave concerns about the state budget deal as announced and encourages legislators to go back to the table and come up with another solution."

Please Note: Dr. GnanaDev is a trauma surgeon and director of the medical staff at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, San Bernardino County's public hospital.

Source
The California Medical Association