A plan to aid struggling hospitals
Re “Fiscal woes jeopardize area hospitals,” Sept. 23
The article on struggling hospitals is incomplete without greater discussion of the health reform proposal Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has put forward to address the overcrowding of emergency rooms.
Schwarzenegger has proposed a Medi-Cal rate increase that would provide $1.5 billion for hospitals and would require all Californians to have health insurance.
The governor’s plan also proposes using more precise measures of earthquake risk that will make it easier and less expensive for hospitals to meet seismic safety requirements.
Hospitals are in crisis in California, and the need for reform is urgent. The governor’s plan will help relieve overcrowding in emergency rooms and improve the healthcare system for all Californians.
Kim Belshé
Secretary, Health and Human Services Agency
Sacramento
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