SFMS board member Shannon Udovic-Constant MD had a concise and important letter in the San Francisco Chronicle this week:
Don’t cut care for kids
Editor: your story about California’s poor rating for health care for kids comes at an important time. Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget for California is poised to cut 100,000 children from health insurance and will decrease access to pediatricians for many more due to provider cuts to Medi-Cal. The budget must not be balanced on the backs of California’s most vulnerable children. The California Legislature must say no to the proposed cuts to Healthy Families and Medi-Cal. If these cuts pass, California will soon be last in the country in delivering health care for children.
Shannon Udovic-Constant
M.D. and pediatrician, San Francisco
- For those who wish to join in advocating for continued important care, for kids and adults, please see the information below – our State Senator Mark Leno is on the budget committee, and would be the best single legislator to contact: his number in San Francisco is: 557-1300.
From the American Academy of Pediatrics – Calif.:
http://www.aap-ca.org/
AAP-CA has identified top priorities for state budget advocacy on behalf of children and pediatricians:
Faced with a $20 billion deficit, the Governor has proposed increased premiums and copayments in Healthy Families and elimination of the CalWorks program. Both houses of the Legislature separately rejected those proposals. The joint Budget Conference Committee is now meeting to develop a single, balanced budget to present to the Governor. The challenge remains the enormous deficit – in order to eliminate cuts to kids health care, other cuts must be found, revenues must be raised, or some combination of the two.
YOUR ACTION MATTERS: If your legislator is on the Budget Conference Committee, please contact them now. Three points to emphasize:
- Funding for kids in Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, and California Children’s Services must be protected. Federal reform, built on the continued strength of these programs, will not replace these funds!
- Protect First Five funds, which address children’s needs in a targeted, local manner and should not be raided for state programs.
- Ensure that CalWorks remains a safety net for children most in need.
To identify your Legislator and find their webpage to get contact information go to http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html
