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HOME > ABOUT > PRESS > WOOLSEY TO JOIN PEACEFUL HEALTHCARE PROTESTS
Article published - August 12, 2009
Credit: SONOMA WEST TIMES
Woolsey to join peaceful health care protests
by Rollie Atkinson
North Coast Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey will join a peaceful protest in the town’s plaza on Friday, Aug. 14 at noon to mark National Health Center Week and draw attention to pending state budget cuts and call for federal health care reform.
A full day of public demonstrations and public education displays is being planned by the combined staff of the West County Health Centers, which operates clinics in Guerneville, Occidental and Sebastopol.
Peaceful picketers will wear blue ribbons and welcome morning commuters in downtown Sebastopol Friday morning, taking up the posts of the weekly “Women in Black” and mid-day patriotic flag wavers. Health care advocates will carry signs protesting state budget cuts that could cause the elimination of low-cost health care to 12,000 Sonoma County children.
Rep. Woolsey (D-Petaluma) has endorsed the national health care reform legislation proposed by President Barack Obama that is now being debated in Congress.
Woolsey, one of Congress’ most liberal members, supports a single-payer system.
“Like most Californians, I believe that the best way to provide high-quality, affordable health care to everyone while bringing down costs is to create a single-payer health insurance system,” said Woolsey in a policy statement released last week. “I have joined with a majority of progressives, however, to support a robust public option linked to Medicare. Such a public plan would be one insurance option, alongside private health insurance companies. The public plan would compete with the private health companies to get people to enroll,” she stated.
One of the front line services under such a plan would be expanded services and access to the local community health centers. The West County Health Centers are non profit centers, largely funded by government programs such as Medicare and Medi-Cal.
A sliding scale fee program provides primary and preventative care to anyone, regardless of a person’s insurance status or ability to pay.
Some of those services are under threat of being cut based on last-minute budget revisions actions by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last week.
The budget eliminates all funding ($35 million) for community clinic programs that support Indian Health and seasonal agricultural workers.
Besides an estimated 12,000 children in Sonoma County losing their Healthy Families health insurance coverage, state cuts in substance abuse programs will reduce some local services by 50 percent, leaving 250 clients without care. Reduced funding for a drug treatment program supported by Medi-Cal may affect another 105 clients.
Local HIV/AIDS and mental health services also will be reduced, along with some out-patient services and school-based health services, Rita Scardaci, the county’s director of health services, announced this week.
“The state’s broad reductions will erode years of funding for children’s health insurance and destabilize the county’s entire health services safety net,” said Scardaci. “The impact on services for women, children and the underinsured will affect the wellness of communities throughout the county.”
Scardaci also said a loss of $236,500 in state funding for the county’s Adolescent, Family, and Life Program will mean a loss of $82,800 in federal matching funds and result in approximately 180 pregnant teens not receiving services.
The Department of Health Services (DHS) will also lose an estimated $50,000 in maternal, child and adolescent health funding.
“Community clinics are a vital and key contributor to our county’s health care safety-net,” Scardaci said. “I am concerned what impact this reduction will have on their continued capacity to meet the health needs in our community.”
Overall, funding for DHS has fallen by $21 million during the last two fiscal years, leading to numerous program cuts and layoffs, Scardaci also reported.
At the national level Woolsey continues to call for a “robust public plan” to counter the trend of health care service cuts and unaffordable care.
“Some 70,000 uninsured individuals in the 6th District could gain access to high-quality, affordable health insurance under the House bill. As many as 19,100 small businesses here could also receive tax credits to provide coverage to their employees,” Woolsey said.
“In 2008, health care providers in this district alone provided $81 million in uncompensated care, care that was provided to individuals who lacked insurance coverage and were unable to pay their bills. These costs would be virtually eliminated with meaningful health care reform,” she said. |
