Health Care Professionals
AFSCME doctors, dentists, nurses, and other health care professionals deliver patient care in diverse settings throughout California. Members of the Union of American Physicians and Dentists and the United Nurses Associations of California /Union of Health Care Professionals believe that all health care workers and all community members are entitled to dignity, respect, justice, and quality health care.
Health Care Reform is a big topic across this country. However, everyone is watching how California will tackle the problem of a broken system. We must continue to fight for adequate health care professional-to-patient ratios. As the front-line advocates for patient care and rights, we must ensure that any form of health care reform is comprehensive - making sure health care is shared equally by all, and that it's affordable, transparent, accesible, and of the highest quality.
Health Care Professionals and the May Revision:
Although the May Revision would not directly impact health care professionals, the Governor proposes limiting services for Medi-Cal recipients, which would reduce the number of prescription drugs allotted to six per month and allowing only 10 clinic visits per year, saving about $1.4 billion. The Governor also proposes elimination of Drug Medi-Cal (except for perinatal and youth services), which pays for substance abuse treatment.
In addition, the Governor proposes to increase premium rates under the Healthy Families Program for families with incomes from 200 to 250 percent of poverty from $24 per child to $42 per child. Also, the plan proposes to increase co-payments for emergency room visits and hospital inpatient services.