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Russell Judd, president of Mercy Hospitals, submitted a letter to the editor about the state's cuts to Medi-Cal.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

For more info about the cuts, read "Calif. sued over Medi-Cal rate cuts" and "Is health reform dead?"

Budget Cuts Put Hospitals and Lives at Risk

California's community hospitals provide vital health care services and emergency care to millions of people around the clock. But new budget cuts will negatively impact California’s hospitals, including Kern Medial Center — a key safety net provider.
 
In February 2008, the Governor signed into law a 10 percent budget cut to the Medi-Cal program, which serves our state’s most vulnerable patients — the uninsured, underinsured, working poor, disabled, and seniors. These cuts will likely result in reductions to critical emergency and trauma services at safety net hospitals. When health care services are lost, the impact is felt across the entire community.
 
The new Medi-Cal cuts will further erode an already under funded program. Medi-Cal already ranks last in the nation in payments to health care providers. In fact, California’s community hospitals lost a total of $2.8 billion in 2007 from inadequate payments for care provided to Medi-Cal patients. In this latest round of cuts, hospitals are facing another loss of $500 million, including over $5 million at Kern Medical Center.
 
The budget also calls for payment delays to both doctors and hospitals in June and August. Across the state a growing number of physicians are already canceling their Medi-Cal contracts due to the poor reimbursement rates. That means there are fewer physicians treating Medi-Cal patients and less access to care for patients. It’s hard to blame physicians, since current payments are so low. But patients who are unable to receive care from their doctors often turn to hospital emergency rooms, the most expensive setting to receive basic medical treatment. Our emergency departments are already extremely busy. This cut to Medi-Cal funding will only make matters worse.
 
The local health care community recognizes that the enormity of the state’s fiscal problems will require budget cuts to all state programs, including those affecting hospitals and doctors. But it is simply not feasible to cut our way out of a $16 billion deficit. A more balanced approach is needed to solve this fiscal emergency.
 
The state’s current health care crisis could get much worse. Critical health care services at safety net hospitals like Kern Medical Center must not be allowed to erode further or be lost altogether.
 
Signed
Russell V. Judd
President
Mercy Hospitals of Bakersfield

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DISCLAIMER: This was sent to me by the hospitals' director of communications. A copy was also sent to the Opinion section.

I don't normally take letters to the editors — that's the Opinion section's job. I usually read letters like this once they get into the paper, just like everyone else. And by posting this letter here, it does not necessarily mean I agree or disagree with its sentiment.