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Today is
August 2009 Policy Updates for City/Local,
State, and Federal.
Policy Updates: City/Local
1. SFCCC Clinics Participate in House Speaker Pelosi’s Local Meetings on Health Care Reform
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held news conferences on health care reform at Mission Neighborhood Health Center on July 6 and at San Francisco General Hospital on August 4. At Mission she toured the facility and also spoke briefly with North East Medical Services (NEMS), South of Market Health Center (SMHC) and Native American Health Center (NAHC) clinic EDs before the news conference. At the San Francisco General Hospital event, NEMS and SMHC EDs testified to the Speaker on issues important to clinics and their clients – including the need for adult dental services. On the evening of August 4, representatives of SFCCC, Glide Health Services and Lyon Martin Health Services joined local hospital leaders for a reception for the Speaker.
Speaker Pelosi has expressed a strong commitment to clinics, prevention/ primary care and the “medical home” model in the House’s health care reform deliberations.
2. SFCCC, Alameda Health Consortium and Contra Costa/ Solano Consortium Clinics Protest Against State HIV and Traditional Clinic Programs Budget Cuts at Rallies at the San Francisco and Oakland State Office Buildings
Hundreds of Bay Area clinic people participated in rallies on August 5 and August 12 at local State Office Buildings. Local media covering the events interviewed clinic staff, board members and patients regarding the devastating impacts of the State cuts.
3. State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg Announces Lawsuit Against the Governor’s Line Item Veto Budget Cuts at Mission Neighborhood Health Center
At the August 13 news conference, Senator Steinberg emphasized that the Governor has the authority to line item veto budget bills that increase appropriations but the bill
In which he line-item-vetoed additional cuts already included major cuts that the Legislature and Governor together had both endorsed; the line item vetoes went way beyond the budget agreement.
Traditional clinic programs (e.g., EAPC, IHP), HIV services and Healthy Families were particularly hard hit by the line item vetoes. Senator Steinberg hopes the Legislature will pursue restoring the line item cuts when it reconvenes.
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Policy Updates: State
1. Governor’s Line Item Vetoes Add Significant Additional Cuts to A State Budget That Was Already Devastating to Clinics
With the line item vetoes added to the base cuts, SFCCC member clinics will lose at least $6.5 million in State funding for services – including over $3 million for adult dental. One member clinic will likely lose 25% of its patient care revenues. In additional to the cuts to traditional clinic programs, HIV prevention and some treatment services have been decimated and the Healthy Families program reduced by 60%.
2. The California Primary Care Association (CPCA) Joins Senator Steinberg’s Lawsuit Against the Governor’s Line Item Vetoes
On August 11, the CPCA Board approved joining the lawsuit by either filing an amicus brief or as a co-plaintiff. CPCA staff will be meeting with Senator Steinberg’s lawyers to identify the most effective participation role. Assemblyman Perez and The Western Center for Law and Poverty are also considering filing suits against the line item vetoes.
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Policy Updates: Federal
1. NACHC August 18 Tele-Town Hall on Clinics and Health Care Reform Cancelled Because of Technical Difficulties
The Tele-Town Hall will be re-scheduled as soon as possible.
 
 Please call or email Dick Hodgson at 415 355-2230/ rhodgson@sfccc.org if you have questions or need additional information on any of these topics.
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