STATE, LOCAL OFFICIALS DECRY HEALTH CARE CUTS.Byline: LISA The first personal computer to include integrated software and use a graphical interface. Modeled after the Xerox Star and introduced in 1983 by Apple, it was ahead of its time, but never caught on due to its $10,000 price and slow speed. FRIEDMAN Washington Bureau WASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush moved Monday to wring $25.7 billion over five years from government health services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract to the poor and elderly, provoking outrage from 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. and California officials who said the budget proposal was an assault on the uninsured. The spending plan also hurts California by cutting funds to reimburse the state for jailing illegal immigrants and cutting homeland security Noun 1. Homeland Security - the federal department that administers all matters relating to homeland security Department of Homeland Security executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States resources, state officials said. Analysts warned the cuts could also threaten California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's sweeping health care plan, which relies heavily on federal funds Federal Funds Funds deposited to regional Federal Reserve Banks by commercial banks, including funds in excess of reserve requirements. Notes: These non-interest bearing deposits are lent out at the Fed funds rate to other banks unable to meet overnight reserve from Medi-Cal, the state's version of Medicaid. California alone could face $1.5 billion in losses of federal Medicaid payments over three years, according to the California Hospital Association. Los Angeles officials said they are still studying what the cuts would mean locally, but are deeply concerned about the impact. Health advocates estimate that more than 6 million Californians are uninsured. Meanwhile, about 6.8 million residents -- a fifth of the state's population -- are enrolled in Medi-Cal. Cuts to the program, Wright said, ``create a bigger gap between where we are and where we need to be,'' particularly in cities like Los Angeles that he called ``ground zero for the uninsured in the nation.'' The projected cuts come on the heels of a new Medicaid rule capping reimbursements to public hospitals. Los Angeles is expected to lose $200 million annually from that cap, while California hospitals overall could lose more than $500 million. Jan Emerson, spokeswoman for the California Hospital Association, said the combined loss could be devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. to places like Los Angeles County/ USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. Medical Center and a number of private facilities in low-income neighborhoods that treat high numbers of Medi-Cal patients. About 34 percent of California hospital patients were enrolled in Medicare in 2005, while about 22 percent were on Medi-Cal, she said. Schwarzenegger criticized the president's plan to cut funding for jailing of undocumented immigrants. State officials estimated the cut would cost California $114 million annually. Staff Writer Harrison Sheppard contributed to this report. lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com |
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