[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]

And a Lesson in Civics on the process of rulemaking

By Hanh Kim Quach
Health Care Policy Coordinator
Health Access California

While we glow (and gloat) about how the Department of Managed Health Care's regulations on timely access to care were returned to them earlier this week -- without approval -- by the Office of Administrative Law, we also want to take the opportunity to talk about the obscure process in state government called rulemaking.

I'll strongly note here that the OAL's refusal to finalize DMHC's proposed Timely Access regulations had nothing to do with how miserable the regulations actually were. Office of Administration Law merely dinged DMHC because they did not follow the proper waiting periods and rules -- (hey, we'll take our wins where we can get them). This is an important point as we embark on a second year of rulemaking for Timely Access to Health Care standards.

First, I want to point everyone to the Office of Administrative Law's handy dandy lay person's guide on How to Participate in the rulemaking process.

Secondly, some context. Here's how the Timely Access regulations came to be:

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director of Health Access California

Former Governor Pete Wilson gave the Governor's radio address over the weekend, and hinted at what the Governor Schwarzenegger might be thinking, as we head into the week where the budget will be announced.

Josiah Greene at the California Majority Report is right to sound the alarm. Wilson invokes his attempt at Proposition 165, to give him as Governor more budget-cutting authority. It also raises the specter of Schwarzenegger coming back with something similar to Prop 76, which would have allowed the Governor to make unilateral budget cuts in certain emergencies. Both measures failed at the ballot box, and for good reason.

Whether the cuts are "unilateral" or "automatic" doesn't make them better, it makes them worse.

• It means that cuts are made without proper consideration of what is penny-wise and pound-foolish;

• It means that cuts are prioritized over other budget solutions, including raising revenues, and yes, taxes.

• It means that legislators escape accountability to make the tough choices, whether cuts or revenues.

by osum21 [courtesy of Calitics: Soapblox California - Front Page]

by Ca. Former State Assembly member,Hannah-Beth Jackson

Sometimes in politics, the easiest solutions are the most elusive. That should not be the case with one part of the state budget discussions. When it comes to trying to leverage state tax dollars to maximize federal money at small state cost, there is no simpler discussion than putting in a meager $24 Million to increase the Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for our state's safety net health care providers like Planned Parenthood and Neighborhood Health Clinics.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Hannah Beth Jackson

As we see a woman's reproductive rights being chiseled away on the national level, thanks to the currently Bush-stacked US Supreme Court, we have to rely more and more heavily on setting the standards for Reproductive Choice right here in California. But the anti-choice movement knows there are more ways than just stacking the court to reduce access to safe and early abortion and reproductive health care services......just squeeze providers financially and watch the number of facilities shrink so rapidly that these services become unavailable or at the very least, so stretched that the ability to obtain healthcare becomes dangerously delayed for patients from all walks-of-life.