BAKERSFIELD, CA - Local health care advocates went to Sacramento Tuesday to voice their opposition to proposed cuts to state Medi-Cal rates. Union members and their employers say services are already in short supply and cuts could result in job losses and the closure of some nursing homes.
Tuesday morning, two buses left Bakersfield, headed for the state capitol for people to voice their opposition to the cuts.
Through legal action, providers prevented a 10 percent reduction in Medi-Cal reimbursements from being enacted. A recent court decision overturned the ruling, allowing the state to make the cuts.
Last week, local health care providers announced their opposition to the budget cuts and plan to participate in the rally at the state capitol.
Dignity Health's Jon Van Boening said, "This rally will let the lawmakers know that Medi-Cal cuts will affect patients and communities across California. It should not be allowed to go forward and they should support AB 900 to restore the funding."
Assembly Bill 900, along with Senate Bill 640, which the group supports, would overturn the cuts to skilled nursing facilities, sub acute care units, immediate care and other facilities serving the developmentally disabled and Medi-Cal recipients.
Along with a cut to services, the California Hospital Association reports 36,000 jobs could be lost, resulting in a $2 billion hit to the state's economy.
Emergency room registration clerk Lisa Hernandez, said, "We need our jobs and we need people to come to our hospital we need our job security. If we lose that we're going to have layoffs and the economy is even going to be worse."
Local health care providers say with the large number of people who depend on health care assistance, cuts would have a devastating effect in our area.
Surgical technician Melodie Kendall said, "With this $1 billion cut, there could be hospitals closing right here in our own community and it also affects the employees. We'd have employees that are members here, that work here at these hospitals that would be unemployed."
Tuesday morning, two buses left Bakersfield, headed for the state capitol for people to voice their opposition to the cuts.
Through legal action, providers prevented a 10 percent reduction in Medi-Cal reimbursements from being enacted. A recent court decision overturned the ruling, allowing the state to make the cuts.
Last week, local health care providers announced their opposition to the budget cuts and plan to participate in the rally at the state capitol.
Dignity Health's Jon Van Boening said, "This rally will let the lawmakers know that Medi-Cal cuts will affect patients and communities across California. It should not be allowed to go forward and they should support AB 900 to restore the funding."
Assembly Bill 900, along with Senate Bill 640, which the group supports, would overturn the cuts to skilled nursing facilities, sub acute care units, immediate care and other facilities serving the developmentally disabled and Medi-Cal recipients.
Along with a cut to services, the California Hospital Association reports 36,000 jobs could be lost, resulting in a $2 billion hit to the state's economy.
Emergency room registration clerk Lisa Hernandez, said, "We need our jobs and we need people to come to our hospital we need our job security. If we lose that we're going to have layoffs and the economy is even going to be worse."
Local health care providers say with the large number of people who depend on health care assistance, cuts would have a devastating effect in our area.
Surgical technician Melodie Kendall said, "With this $1 billion cut, there could be hospitals closing right here in our own community and it also affects the employees. We'd have employees that are members here, that work here at these hospitals that would be unemployed."