RIDLEY-THOMAS CALLS FOR STRATEGIC FEDERAL ADVOCACY EFFORTS AND BUDGET ANALYSIS IN RESPONSE TO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S POTENTIAL $429 MILLION DEFICIT

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 27 2010                                                                                                                                       Contact:   James Bolden 213-200-5314

 

RIDLEY-THOMAS CALLS FOR STRATEGIC FEDERAL ADVOCACY EFFORTS AND BUDGET ANALYSIS IN RESPONSE TO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH’S POTENTIAL $429 MILLION DEFICIT

 

LOS ANGELES -- Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas today called for strategic federal advocacy efforts and a thorough budget analysis in response to the Department of Health Services (DHS) reported potential $429 million dollar budget deficit.

The Supervisor’s call comes in response to a motion by Supervisors Molina and Yaroslavsky requesting a detailed analysis of how the County’s health care system would be impacted if federal revenue options fail to materialize. 

In an effort to better understand the full extent of the DHS budget deficit, Supervisor Ridley-Thomas requested an examination of unreimbursed health services that DHS provides for other County departments. 

The Supervisor cited examples of DHS currently providing roughly $7.5 million in unreimbursed health services for the Probation Department and $37 million in health services for the Sheriff’s Department. He asked that the County’s strategic private partners, most impacted by the budget deficit, be included in federal advocacy efforts.   

“L.A. County is ground zero in our nation’s health care crisis and the coming health reform cavalry is still too far away to bring needed relief.  Each budget cycle brings a recurrent ‘doomsday’ scenario in which we face the prospect of abandoning those in need of care,” Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said.  

 

“As we struggle with these matters and consider needed cuts, we need to be sure that we are as fair as possible to our communities in highest need and to any of the County departments that are being asked to bear the brunt of this crisis.”

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