Save My Emergency Room
No matter what type of insurance you have, your access to health care services is at risk if the $1.5 billion in health care budget cuts take effect. These cuts affect the state's Medi-Cal program, which provides care for our most vulnerable citizens. If physicians and other providers in your community stop caring for Medi-Cal patients because of these budget cuts, your local emergency room will become a de-facto doctor's office—adding to the woes of already overcrowded ERs. As a result, everyone—including you and your loved ones—will wait longer for care in the ER. And if some hospitals are forced to close because of these budget cuts, your entire community will be affected.
Hospitals are required by law to provide care to all emergency patients. No one can be turned away. Emergency room visits in California have grown to more than 9.5 million per year, up from about 8 million annually a decade ago. During this same time period, 71 emergency rooms have closed because of financial problems, thus leaving fewer ERs to treat more patients. Fewer ERs + more people = longer wait times. The average wait time in a California emergency room is already 4.5 hours. In some Southern California emergency rooms, you may wait more than 11 hours to receive care. If these health care budget cuts take effect, you and your loved ones will wait even longer in the ER.
About half of California's community hospitals are losing money. More than 70 hospitals have closed their doors in the past 10 years, leaving fewer hospitals to care for California's growing population. In 2007, California hospitals provided $9.7 billion in patient care that went unpaid. The largest portion of this uncompensated care comes from the government-run Medi-Cal and Medicare programs. Last year, the state's Medi-Cal program underpaid California hospitals by $2.7 billion, while the shortfall from Medicare totaled $3.5 billion.

Stop the $1.5 Billion Cuts from the Health Care Budget

The severe health care budget cuts will impact you, your family, friends and your community hospitals. Cuts to the Medi-Cal program will increase the number of uninsured patients in our already overcrowded and overburdened hospital emergency rooms. This will mean longer wait times and higher costs for everyone. Help save your emergency room.

1) See the hospitals in your area that will be impacted by the Governor's proposed cuts

 

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2) Add your name to the petition we're delivering to the Governor
View Petition

3) E-mail your legislator who has a vote on the Governor's budget
View Email Letter