On the occasion of President Obama’s State of the Union speech calling for Congress to continue the work of healthcare reform, the County Board of Supervisors, led by Supervisor Mark-Ridley-Thomas, voted to fight any effort to repeal the historic legislation.
In a motion sponsored by Mr. Ridley-Thomas, the nation’s largest county, where more than 1.7 million uninsured people reside, directed the County’s Washington office and County departments to take all necessary steps to see that the Affordable Care Act of 2010 is preserved.
“There can be no equivocating on this matter,” said Mr. Ridley-Thomas. “The historic legislation that has brought the promise of affordable healthcare to 32 million uninsured Americans is vital not just to the nation’s economic well-being, but to that of Los Angeles County as well. Federal healthcare reform underpins every one of the significant health care projects slated for Los Angeles County this year and next.”
The Affordable Care Act includes several provisions especially important to the County:
• Expanded Medicaid coverage to low-income adults under the age of 65 who currently must rely on the County for health care;
• Expanded Medicaid coverage for the thousands of young persons transitioning out of the County’s foster care system;
• Creation of a Prevention and Public Health Fund that would provide increased funding for prevention, public health and wellness activities for County residents.
“The creation of a new Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital, the expansion of Harbor-UCLA Hospital and expanded access to preventive medical care and mental health services for millions of County residents are supported, either directly or indirectly, by healthcare reform,” Mr. Ridley-Thomas said.
On a national level, he characterized preservation of healthcare reform as a money-saving measure. Earlier this month, the Congressional Budget Office released a preliminary estimate that found that failure to preserve the Affordable Care Act would increase the federal deficit by $230 billion over 10 years. The positive economic impact on California households in increased wages, reduced out-of-pocket spending and other factors is $12.6 billion.
About half of California’s uninsured residents who stand to benefit from healthcare reform reside in Los Angeles County. The reform law, supporters maintain, provides them with affordable coverage and improved access to services. As the County is the provider of last resort for indigent residents, this coverage, backers add, amounts to millions in savings.
“Given the fiscal challenges ahead of us as county and municipal budgets are impacted by California’s $25 billion deficit,” said Mr. Ridley-Thomas, “it is essential that we actively partner with the federal government wherever possible.”
Ms. Harris may be contacted at jharris@bos.lacounty.gov
