Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday highlighted how his 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. The Governor spoke with labor and business leaders during a stop in Long Beach.

 

“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.

 

“After more than a year of hard work on health care reform, we have made amazing progress and are very close. Groups that traditionally have not been on the same page on this issue joined forces and today we stand here together united in a common goal,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “We all know heartbreaking examples of people losing coverage because they are out of work or their insurance company has cut them off. They live in fear of being one illness away from financial disaster. Our plan fixes that by requiring insurers to sell to everyone. And more importantly, by pushing our reform past the finish line, Californians will be healthier and our economy will be stronger.”

 

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.

 

Governor Schwarzenegger (center) speaks with Long Beach Chamber Chairman Matt Kinley (center-right) and other local labor and business leaders about healthcare reform.

 

“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.