[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By David Dayen
d-day

There's a confluence of high-profile lawsuits against the state today, on big topics with far-reaching consequences. First, the medical community is suing over Medi-Cal payments:

“Doctors, hospitals and health care providers filed a class-action lawsuit Monday seeking to block the state from cutting payments to them for treating the poor.

“The lawsuit argues that an upcoming 10 percent rate cut to Medi-Cal -- the state-run health insurance program serving 6.5 million low-income residents -- will exacerbate a shortage of doctors, dentists and pharmacists willing to treat poor patients because payments are so low.

"Medi-Cal already doesn't cover the cost of providing care," said Dr. Richard Frankenstein, president of the California Medical Association, which led the lawsuit. "If these cuts take effect, Medi-Cal patients will be forced to seek care in already overcrowded hospital emergency rooms, which undermines access to care for all Californians."

“The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, seeks an immediate injunction to block the reduction from taking effect July 1.”

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

In today’s Democratic weekly radio address Assemblymember Patty Berg and Assemblymember Hector de la Torre talk about the need for a balanced approach to balancing the state’s budget. Berg and de la Torre say the Governor’s 10-percent, across the board "cuts only" plan is not financially smart and would hurt the poor, the elderly and the disabled. In the radio address Berg and de le Torre say, “Proposed cuts in Medi-Cal’s doctor reimbursement rates, already the lowest in the nation, will drastically reduce health care access by driving doctors, particularly specialists like pediatricians, out of Medi-Cal or out of California entirely. Additionally, we would be throwing away over a billion dollars in federal matching funds aimed at supporting Medi-Cal.”

You may listen in English or Spanish. The transcript is below.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

President pro Tem Don Perata delivered a speech with incredible passion and candor on the California Senate floor during debate on bills that painfully cut expenditures from the current state budget. If you have just five minutes, this is one that you will want to watch.

These cuts were made to make up for lower-than-expected revenue. The seven bills passed with broad bipartisan support. Below is a part of what he had to say—but the speech as delivered is even more powerful than the printed word.

“For too long, we have in this body denied and even defied reality. That is that California lacks a governance structure capable of managing its future.”

“We all want a better future. That is undeniable. A future where all residents have an opportunity to live responsibly, without fear and with hope. Today’s budget belies that goal. It is a statement that California is going in the wrong direction, all of California is going in the wrong direction.”