Health Care Reform to Benefit California's Ailing Hospital System

Governor makes a visit to Long Beach Memorial Hospital to address Medi-Cal issues with hospitals canceling contract...BD

Sacramento, California - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today highlighted how health care reform ensures financial stability to our state's ailing hospital system by providing billions of dollars from the federal government so services are less vulnerable.
"Our health care reform plan will bring billions of dollars of badly needed money to our healthcare system and ensure that future Governors will not have to make the decisions we are being forced to make today," said Governor Schwarzenegger.
The Governor visited Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, which illustrates one of the main reasons why we need to fix our broken health care system: California pays some of the lowest Medi-Cal rates in the nation. Long Beach Memorial Medical Center reports losing $28 million last year alone treating Medi-Cal patients.
Hospitals up and down the state have been canceling contracts to treat Medi-Cal patients.
Three have canceled contracts just this month and many doctors won't even consider treating Medi-Cal patients because state payments don't fully cover their costs.
Participants joining the Governor today at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center included:
Barry Arbuckle, chair-elect, California Hospital Association, and president and chief executive officer with Memorial Care Medical Centers Matt Kinley, chair of the Board, Long Beach Chamber of Commerce Danny Curtin, director, California Conference of Carpenters Dr. Jay Cohen, chair-elect of the Board, California Association of Physician Groups