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then promptly announcing $2 billion in health cuts over two years to help compensate for revenue lost after he repealed the vehicle license fee.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."

[KellyAdmirer]

Nah, Arnold isn't doing anything, he's just another RINO, right?

The "Don't blame me, I voted for McClintock" gang never seems to show up on these threads for some reason. But get a negative article about Arnold that says he's not doing enough because he hasn't sent the state's credit rating to junk status yet as they want, and wham! They are there like a shot out of a cannon.

[COEXERJ145]

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

[HighWheeler]

"Gladys Sandlin, executive director of the Mission Health Center: "...Medi-Cal isn't charity," she said."It's a right."

Why is this woman the executive director of anything? She is a complete DUfus. Typical lib who has no idea what a "right" is.

[pogo101]

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

You beat me to it. But the sad thing is, she probably believes it -- and there are hundreds of thousands of leeches like her WHO VOTE AND BREED.

[pogo101]

Maybe the McClintock stalwarts who like to pick on Arnold and predict the falling sky are just on Christmas vacation.

[BOBWADE]

To quote my father, "God never promised anyone a cadillac"

[GOPrincess]

"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.""

The idea that breaking the law gives one rights is what's wrong with this country. That Medi-Cal she refers to as a right is legalized robbery of hardworking Californians by lawbreakers. What an Alice in Wonderland world we live in.

[Kevin Curry]

McClintock would have done this and much more.

Arnold is McClintock-lite, a vain pretender, a poseur.

But the wimmin-folk love him.

[BOBWADE]

This is supposed to be the land of opportunity, not the land of handouts.

[Ben Bolt]

self bump .

[SAMWolf]

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

AMEN!!!

Thanks for the ping HiJinx. Let's hope he stickes to his guns, if the "immigrants" don't like it they're welcome to leave and go back to Mexico.

[Carry_Okie]

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 has a $30 co-pay and concentrates on preventative care. Medi-Cal doesn't require a co-pay and covers those who show up at emergency rooms for expensive treatment, some of which Healthy Families could have prevented. As much as Medi-Cal is a bottomless pit of expense, the State would be better served restraining the scope of Medi-Cal coverage and cutting elective procedures from State employee benefits, including operations for transsexuals, domestic partners, etc. That takes a detailed knowledge of medical coverage that (if this decision is any indication) this administration apparently lacks.

Remember: preventing the spread of infectious diseases protects all of us in the long run. Such is exactly what Healthy Families was constructed to address.

[goldstategop]

For people who play by the rules and contribute to our country. 'Nuff said.

[A CA Guy]

Congrats on voting for the McLoser!

[luvbach1]

Expect to see picketers protesting this and other cuts to come.

[TomServo]

To quote my father, "God never promised anyone a cadillac"

For some reason this reminds me of a quote from my Father to my Brother.

"I can't s**t you a distributor cap!"

[Carry_Okie]

The "Don't blame me, I voted for McClintock" gang never seems to show up on these threads for some reason.

See post 34.

[Kevin Curry]

Schwarzenfraud is a joke. He takes little baby steps on spending cuts while saddling the next generation with enormous bond debt.

And his swooning gaggle of adoring idjits cheer.