Countywide : Grand Jury Urges More Health Funds

In its third report this spring on health care, the Orange County Grand Jury recommended Monday that local officials make public medical services “a higher priority” and spend more general funds on community clinics, services to pregnant women and county health clinics.

“We have seen a great need” for perinatal care and expanded county health services, said Beverly Jacobs, chairwoman of the grand jury’s health care committee. Grand jurors estimate that 400,000 county residents have little or no insurance and often turn to community or county clinics.

County officials responded that they would like to provide more money for health care. But citing a $40-million budget deficit this year, they warned of cutting services, not expanding them.

“The reality is the state is $60 million short, the county $40 million short,” said Tom Uram, director of the county Health Care Agency. He said the county is planning cuts in health care if needed state funds fall through.

Uram added that he has a list of programs he may cut, but that would not release it now because “I don’t want any panic. You destroy morale when you put out a cutoff list.”

Don R. Roth, chairman of the County Board of Supervisors, also said there may be health-care cuts this year.

According to the grand jury’s latest report, as well as an accompanying analysis by the firm of Coopers & Lybrand, three other counties of about the same size--San Bernardino, San Diego and Santa Clara--spend more of their own money on health care, although another comparable county, Sacramento, spends less.