Should a Faltering Economy Mean Less Health Care?
By Nancy M. Friedman

The recession, hand in hand with the 9-11 tragedy and the war the U.S. has declared in response to it, is causing budgetary calamities in every government sector except the FBI and the CIA. There was a brief flicker of hope at the beginning of the bioterrorism scare that even the Republicans would finally understand the need to have adequate health care facilities available to all people, insured or not. After all, disaster plans are only as good as the number of emergency rooms and hospital beds available in any given area. Locally, those numbers are endangered by cutbacks in Sutter Health facilities (Alta Bates, Summit and Eden Hospitals) and the ever precarious funding of the Alameda County Medical Center.

In August I wrote a letter on behalf of Vote Health to the Department of Health & Human Services protesting the possible reduction of Medicaid payments to county medical facilities by elimination of the "150% upper payment limit." The Acting Director, Richard Chambers, responded with the best dodge-the-bullet sentence read in a long time: "We are considering issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking that will address the 150 percent Upper Payment Limit for non-state government-owned or operated hospitals." He went on to say there will be a public comment period at such time "and we would welcome your detailed input." We will inform Vote Health members so that we can all write to tell Mr. Chambers we can't afford any cuts to health services that already have months-long waiting lists.

As the Feds spend $40 billion (from where, which budget items were cut?) killing people in Afghanistan and beefing up security, and California doubled its deficit in one recent week to $12.5 billion, Alameda County will experience its worst crunch in years as 2002 budgets are drawn up. We must continue to remind our elected officials that health care is a necessity in good and bad times and that closing clinics and care units such as those at Fairmont makes our social fabric weaker. We cannot have adequate disaster planning and allow our Medical Center to go under funded.

A Call to Single Payer Activists
Oakland Will Host Symposium on the Results of the Universal Health Care Study

On Thursday, February 7, 2002, there will be a public symposium to present and discuss the results of the state's universal health care study, known as the Health Care Options Project (HCOP). It will take place at the Airport Hilton (1 Hegenberger Road, Oakland). At the November Vote Health meeting, planning will begin to organize a big turnout for this important event.

Through computer modeling ("micro-simulation"), HCOP is analyzing nine health reform proposals to expand health coverage. The proposals include three single payer plans, expansion of Medi-Cal/Healthy Families and subsidies for workers and/or employers. (All the proposals are posted at www.healthcareoptions.ca.gov/doclib.asp.) The results of HCOP will show which health reforms best meet the goals of universal coverage, high quality and cost-efficiency.

In the morning at the symposium, authors of the reforms will describe their proposals and the Lewin Group, which is performing the microsimulation, will explain how the reforms compare to one another. The public will be invited to raise questions and contribute suggestions about the reform proposals. In the afternoon, there will be "breakout sessions" to address topics such as health care financing, quality and access.

HCOP has made single payer central to the discussion of state health care reform. One single payer proposal, Cal Care, was developed by Health Care for All-California (HCA). The Lewin Group, which has done studies of single payer plans for Maryland, Massachusetts and Vermont, considers Cal Care innovative. Members of Vote Health contributed to designing Cal Care.

HCA was responsible for initiating and leading a series of statewide campaigns that brought about HCOP. These campaigns passed SB 480, the law supported by Vote Health efforts that implements HCOP, and obtained the $1.2 million federal grant that funds HCOP. HCA's goal for the universal health care study has been to get single payer back on the agenda for health care policy.

HCA plans to use Cal Care next year as the basis for single payer legislation. The public and media attention on the HCOP symposia will help launch a new campaign to win single payer in California, whether ultimately as a bill or a ballot initiative. Feedback about Cal Care is welcome. Cal Care is posted on HCA's website, www.healthcareforall.org. Responses may be may be emailed to dmhodges@pacbell.net. Come to the November Vote Health meeting to organize for this important next step!

Read Further

Getting the Ax from Medicare Managed Care

In January, at least 84,000 people across the state covered by Medicare will be dropped from their managed care plans. For example, in Alameda County, PacifiCare will drop 2,446 members, despite making $17 million in profits last year (locally, Blue Cross and Secure Horizons are also dropping Medicare.) The Gray Panthers, together with a coalition of senior groups and State Senator Jackie Speier's office, will be investigating this rash of cutting Medicare recipients loose from their plans of choice, leaving them with fewer and more expensive options for care. Senator Speier will hold a hearing within weeks on the issue and people are needed to testify on the impact of losing their Medicare plans. If you are interested in working on this issue, call Margot Smith at 486-8010.

Newsletter committee:
Nancy M. Friedman, Dan Hodges, Margot Smith, Kevin Reilly, Terry Hill