CALIFORNIA NEWS
Governor Davis's 2003-2004 Budget – Hearings Continue
As reported in February, the Governor released his 2003-2004 Budget on January 10, 2003. Based on an estimated $34.6 billion budget gap, the Governor has proposed reducing all State agencies' funding, except for Corrections, including a reduction of $6.5 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Much of DHHS's reduction would be achieved by a shift of $8.273 billion in costs and program responsibilities from the State to the counties. This "realignment" of mental health, health and social services programs to the counties would be paid with $8.334 billion in new revenues, i.e., a 1 cent sales tax increase, reinstatement of the 10 and 11 percent personal income tax brackets, and a $1.10 per pack tax increase on cigarettes. On top of this realignment of the program responsibilities and the program costs to the counties, the Governor proposed broad eligibility and services cutbacks in Medi-Cal.
The Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services, chaired by Judy Chu (D - Monterey Park), and the Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health, Human Services, Labor and Veteran Affairs, chaired by Wesley Chesbro (D - Arcata), have been taking testimony on the Governor's Budget, including opposition to the realignment and the cutbacks voiced by numerous advocates representing a broad range of constituents and providers. On March 24, 2003, the Senate Budget Subcommittee voted to reverse the realignment proposal, thereby blocking the shift of 15% of the funding for Medi-Cal to the counties and the shift of long-term care costs. However, the Subcommittee did note that "overall restructuring/realignment discussions" were just beginning.
The Senate Budget Subcommittee also took testimony on the proposed Medi-Cal cutbacks to eligibility, retention, benefits and provider rates. While no action was taken, Senator Chesbro did express his "serious concerns" with the cuts. The Subcommittee's analysis can be viewed at http://www.senate.ca.gov.
Chan's Cultural and Linguistic Competency
Reporting Legislation Passes Assembly Committee
On March 18, 2003, Wilma Chan's (D - Oakland) Assembly Bill 154, which would require the health plans participating in Medi-Cal and the Healthy Families Program to report on their compliance with existing language assistance and cultural competency requirements, passed the Assembly Committee on Health 13-9 along party lines. Republican Committee members Bates, Haynes, Maze and Nakanishi spoke against the bill. On the other hand, Democratic Committee members Cohn, Frommer, Goldberg, Negrete McLeod and Ridley-Thomas asked and were added as co-authors of A.B. 154, joining Assemblymembers Diaz, Dymally, Firebaugh, Levine and Longville. On April 2, 2003, the Assembly Committee on Appropriations heard A.B. 154, where it was sent to the Suspense File to await a later hearing, which will most likely take place in late May. A.B. 154, analyses and its status can be viewed at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov.
Additional Cultural and Linguistic Competency
Legislation
Health Care Reform Legislation
Senate Bills 921 and 2, two of the health care reform bills, which have been introduced, will be heard by the Senate Committee on Insurance on April 30, 2003 at 3 p.m. in Room 112 of the State Capitol. S.B. 921, the "Health Care for All Californians Act," (Sheila Kuehl, D – Santa Monica) would provide coverage to all California residents (including the 6 million plus uninsured) through a single insurance plan offered by the State. Health care spending would be controlled through single, simplified administrative structure, consolidated financing and purchasing, and statewide health planning. S.B. 2 (John Burton, D – San Francisco) would expand employer-based health care insurance.
New Language Access Projects Underway
On February 27, 2003, The California Endowment announced three language access grants, bringing to 24 the number of such grants that it has awarded.
For more information, see http://www.calendow.org/news/NewsReleases/2003/special/Language_access022703/frm_news.htm.
For more information, contact the APIAHF Policy Division
staff:
Gem Daus, Legislative and Government Affairs Coordinator, GDaus@apiahf.org
