California Gubernatorial Race Lacks Focus on Health Care, Despite Several Pressing Issues

Although health care issues are "largely being ignored" in the California gubernatorial race, the financial "squeeze" on the state's hospitals, trauma care and emergency room systems will provide a "rude awakening" for the next governor, the Los Angeles Times reports. Among the state's "grim realities in health care," Los Angeles County is facing a multimillion deficit in its health department. As a result, several clinics have been closed, and officials have proposed shuttering two public hospitals. Meanwhile, rising costs have forced several hospitals statewide to close emergency rooms, and about 6.2 million Californians lack health coverage, the Times reports. Further, the state's multibillion budget deficit could result in deep cuts to health care programs. Despite those looming health care issues, neither Gov. Gray Davis (D) nor Republican candidate Bill Simon is discussing possible solutions. "Nobody wants to talk about it because nobody has easy answers, and they're only looking at short term," Lark Galloway-Gilliam, executive director of Community Health Councils, said. For example, Davis' most recent campaign ad "boasts" of providing public insurance to one million low-income children and helping consumers challenge decisions made by their HMOs; however, he does not mention health care when addressing goals for a possible second term. Meanwhile, Simon does not include health care among his top three priorities. Bruce Cain, a political science professor at the University of California-Berkeley, said the "disconnect" on health care issues is linked to the "powerlessness of the uninsured -- many of whom are poor and do not vote," the Times reports. "In health care ... there are so many people who can potentially be blamed for the breakdown of the system that you don't assume it's the governor," Cain said. "You can always say the feds are responsible, or it's up to insurance companies or private enterprise," he added.

Bracing for Cutbacks
Some experts say it is "inevitable" that health care programs will be among the first to be cut if the state continues to struggle with a large budget deficit next year, the Times reports. Linda Rosenstock, dean of the University of California-Los Angeles School of Public Health, said cuts in health care programs will occur "unless the economy does something rather impressive ... which does not look likely." She added, "I don't see any way it's not vulnerable if we're not willing to increase revenues." Simon and Davis, however, both said they need to see specifics of next year's budget deficit before determining if cuts are needed. "Rather than automatically say we've got to limit the scope of coverage, why don't we take a look at whether there's existing waste and mismanagement in the system?" Simon said (Ornstein/Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 10/24).