Wilson Says Poor Will Be Cushioned From Health Cuts : Medical care: Funding would be increased for family planning, drug treatment and aid to pregnant women and schoolchildren. Local officials would gain more control over some programs.

In fashioning a state spending plan at a time of economic crisis, Gov. Pete Wilson said he deliberately avoided making Draconian cuts that would hurt the health care of poor people.

And in several areas, including family planning, drug treatment, and care for pregnant women and schoolchildren, Wilson called for an $88-million expansion of programs for needy individuals, in some cases reversing the policies of his predecessor, Gov. George Deukmejian.

Overall, health care appeared to fare relatively well in the new governor’s budget, with Wilson giving these programs high priority for funding and new initiatives. Health care constituted six of the 10 major legislative goals that Wilson listed in his State of the State Address.

“Under some very, very difficult circumstances that the state finds itself in, the budget (for health care) tries to actually improve some areas that are hurting,” said Assemblyman Bruce Bronzan (D-Fresno), who chairs the Assembly Health Committee.

Bronzan said he is particularly pleased that Wilson’s budget calls for adding $53 million to a program that provides prenatal care to low-income women. “Anybody in health policy knows that prenatal care is the most cost-effective thing you can do, anywhere in the world.”

The governor would also add $10 million to the current family planning budget for a total of $46 million--aiming the extra funds at unmarried teenagers and drug abusers. Based on a recent UC San Francisco study, Wilson estimates that the added allocation would save $3.9 million in Medi-Cal abortion costs and $1.1 million in welfare payments for unwanted children next year alone.

But even those who are generally pleased with Wilson’s health care spending plan are voicing reservations--or at least caution--about some of the details.

They point to the Wilson proposal to charge Medi-Cal patients small fees for some services, despite studies that fees or co-payments can lead to delay in treatment and serious medical complications.

Families would also have to pay added fees for genetic testing and for services for the developmentally disabled.

And to put more money into illness prevention programs, Wilson has had to shift cigarette tax money from county programs that provide medical care for poor people who do not qualify for Medi-Cal.

However, a major element of the governor’s health care proposal is to turn close to $1 billion in public health and mental health programs over to the counties and give local elected officials control over how the money is used.

To pay for those programs, Wilson has proposed increasing motor vehicle license fees and an alcoholic beverage tax increase amounting to roughly 1 cent a drink.

Counties could raise even more money for drug treatment and prevention if local voters agree to a sales tax increase, which could be as large as half a cent, as Wilson proposed.

Moving public health and mental health programs back to the counties would reverse a policy begun after 1978, when local governments turned to the state for funding after Proposition 13 slashed local property taxes, said Bruce Pomer, lobbyist for the Health Officers Assn. of California.

Pomer said city and county health officials around the state were pleased with Wilson’s overall emphasis on prevention: “For us in public health to hear from a governor that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure--I’ve never heard that from a governor, ever.”

But mental health care providers want assurances that counties will use the new revenue to continue existing programs. “We’re pleased that there are no cuts (in the overall dollar amounts),” said Rusty Selix, staff director for the California Council of Community Health Agencies. “But we want to make sure the money is actually spent on mental health.”

While health programs generally fair well under the Wilson budget, not all the news is good. Total funding for AIDS prevention and treatment would actually drop by $3 million from $128 million this year at a time when cases continue to rise. Administration officials point out, however, that California continues to spend more on AIDS than any other state.