CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE OUR RESPONSIBILITY; BUILDING ON EXISTING PLAN, WE MUST DO RIGHT THING FOR STATE'S UNINSURED.Byline: Richard Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, U.S. who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003–2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993–2001. Riordan ran for Governor of California unsuccessfully in 2002. WHILE Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. has more uninsured children than any other county in America - a staggering 750,000 in all - the balanced federal budget passed last month presents our region and our state with an unprecedented opportunity to improve the lives of these and other young people. Earlier this summer, I asked a broad-based coalition of leaders in health care policy, public health, managed care and children's advocacy to consider policies that California should adopt to provide health care coverage to as many uninsured low-income children as quickly as possible. To achieve this goal, the Mayor's Commission for Healthy Kids has recommended that competition among health systems, along with parental choice and pooled purchasing power Purchasing Power 1. The value of a currency expressed in terms of the amount of goods or services that one unit of money can buy. Purchasing power is important because, all else being equal, inflation decreases the amount of goods or services you'd be able to purchase. 2. , be the drivers of the health care delivery system for low-income, uninsured children. Children of low-income families should be able to get their care from the same doctors and hospitals that serve children from more affluent families. The state should structure a system to avoid the welfare stigma stigma: see pistil. Stigma mark of Cain God’s mark on Cain, a sign of his shame for fratricide. [O. T.: Genesis 4:15] scarlet letter that is too often associated with the Medi-Cal program, and to do a much better job of bringing into the system the hundreds of thousands of children who need health care. Last week, Gov. Pete Wilson For others named Pete Wilson, see . Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American Republican politician from California. Wilson served as the thirty-sixth Governor of California (1991–1999), the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that announced his proposal to provide low-income children with greater access to health care. The Governor's California Children's Health Children's Health Definition Children's health encompasses the physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being of children from infancy through adolescence. Plan mirrors many of the recommendations of our local commission, including funding for a thoughtful, aggressive outreach effort to identify and enroll eligible children. The governor's proposal also establishes an innovative mechanism to subsidize sub·si·dize tr.v. sub·si·dized, sub·si·diz·ing, sub·si·diz·es 1. To assist or support with a subsidy. 2. To secure the assistance of by granting a subsidy. the cost of the dependent portion of the coverage that might be available through a parent's employer-sponsored health plan. While the governor has taken an important step forward, more can and should be done to eliminate the confusing con·fuse v. con·fused, con·fus·ing, con·fus·es v.tr. 1. a. To cause to be unable to think with clarity or act with intelligence or understanding; throw off. b. patchwork of Medi-Cal eligibility rules eligibility rules, n.pl the conditions that define who may be entitled to dental benefits, when persons first become entitled to such benefits, and any provisions that determine how long an individual remains entitled to benefits. and ensure that the range of options includes at least one plan that delivers care through safety net providers. In addition, while successful programs like CaliforniaKids have demonstrated that nominal co-payments give parents an important ownership stake in the health care services their children receive, the governor's proposal that the parents of eligible children pay a portion of the premium costs could create an unnecessary barrier to care. The Legislature has begun hearings to review the governor's proposal, and there is no time to waste. In order to provide the health care that so many young Angelenos need and deserve, it is essential that necessary legislation be passed before the Legislature adjourns later this week. As the Legislature and the governor work together on this crucial initiative, one simple question should guide their deliberations: What is in the best interest of the children? Not what is in the best interest of any particular interest group or health care delivery system or what fits best in any particular ideological box . . . simply, what is in the best interest of children? For the sake of 750,000 uninsured young people in Los Angeles County, now is the time to act. Our collective future depends on it. |
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