Arnie to terminate health care benefitsn (YEAH! NO MORE FREE LUNCH LOSERS!)

San Francisco Examiner ^ | 12/19/03 | Alison Soltau

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Arnie to terminate health care benefits

Young moms and concerned doctors on Thursday attacked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's mooted health cuts, saying they could devastate local services for low income, immigrant groups.

The activists accused Schwarzenegger of hypocrisy for running on a campaign of expanding health care coverage for children, then promptly announcing $2 billion in health cuts over two years to help compensate for revenue lost after he repealed the vehicle license fee.

The cuts would hack 10 percent from Medi-Cal and freeze enrollment for all children in the Healthy Families program with separate caps for citizen and undocumented children.

Healthy Families is a scheme providing insurance for 677,000 children from low-income families throughout the state, and the proposed cuts could leave 130,000 children on an insurance waiting list in the first year, according to figures obtained from the state Department of Finance.

Women without legal immigrant standing will lose access to prenatal care, long-term care and treatment for breast and cervical cancer, health groups at a Mission district press conference said. This group is most vulnerable to the cuts, said Gladys Sandlin, executive director of the Mission Health Center. Many illegal women are working multiple jobs to keep their heads above water, she said, and would be most hit by the cuts.

"I'm not asking for charity, Medi-Cal isn't charity," she said."It's a right."

Activists argue that barring low-income immigrants access to the programs won't save the state much cash and will end up costing California more when sick families are forced to resort to the hospital emergency room.

Young single mom Raquel Cardenas is stressed at the thought of her 11-month-old daughter Erely catching this season's virulent strain of flu because the San Francisco Health Plan they rely on may become a casualty of funding cuts.

"It would be devastating for us to have to find our own doctor because I only work part time and I couldn't afford $1,000 bills," she said. "If he cuts us, we'll only be spending more time in the [hospital] emergency room."

[I_Love_My_Husband]

[I_Love_My_Husband]

ping

[GrandMoM]

BUMP

[goldstategop]

I don't get free health coverage. Why should illegal aliens? Go Arnold!

[Lancey Howard]

"I'm not asking for charity, Medi-Cal isn't charity," she said."It's a right."

ROTFLMAO!!

[JoeFromCA]

Read my lips, folks: We can't afford it.

Get over it.

[Metternich]

The entitlement mentality.

[TomServo]

Healthy Families is a scheme

Says it all, right there.

[SCalGal]

"I'm not asking for charity, Medi-Cal isn't charity," she said."It's a right."

BS. It's no right.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

ping

[TomServo]

"I'm not asking for charity, Medi-Cal isn't charity," she said."It's a right."

Please - show me where this right is enumerated.

Another clueless knee-padder.

[lowbridge]

bump

[matrix2225]

Low income, immigrant groups. Which immigrant groups should I ask?

[Killborn]

Excellent move by the Governator.

[ikka]

This group is most vulnerable to the cuts, said Gladys Sandlin, executive director of the Mission Health Center. Many illegal women are working multiple jobs to keep their heads above water, she said, and would be most hit by the cuts.

How much does Gladys get per year as exec. dir. of the Mission Health Center, I wonder?

[SkyPilot]

I think Arnold will continue to surpirse many. He has already infuriated some on the right and left already. Did anyone see Wes Pruden's commentary on him and his wife? Not exactly flattering from a conservative newspaper.

His approach to governing will be his approach he has maintained throughout his other ventures (body building, movies, business). To wit: have a plan, stick with it, give it everything he has. These "cuts" will infuriate the communists, socialsist, NannyState worshippers, and bed wetters.

So what.

[Alouette]

I had no health insurance while I was employed as a contractor. My agency did not provide it.

[goldstategop]

My HMO premiums are triple PER year the $1,00 expenses the illegals are whining over. I grumble and can barely afford the coverage but at least I'm not a loser taking it from the taxpayers. And here you have an undeserving bunch taking it away from people who need it the most. They talk about rights. What about the rights of AMERICAN citizens? No one seems interested in ensuring them and we are fed up.

[sarasmom]

Can I get Medi-Cal in Florida?
Or am I inelligable because I am a citizen, and have a full time job, and pay full taxes, insurance, licence fees and get no subsidised housing?
Oh, I dont qualify for free medical for my child because I am a hard working natural born legal citizen?
Well, I have this Mexican matricular card that says I am an illegal immigrant.It only cost me $25.00.Does that work to get me Medi-Cal?
Does it work in Florida?

[HiJinx]