County Medical Assn. Supports Health ‘Equity Funding’ by State

I wonder how many Orange County citizens realize the costs involved should our legislators fail to insert flexibility into the process to fix the serious wrong of grossly inadequate state dollars to our county.

Orange County has been losing over $45.7 million annually since 1986 in funding from the state for public health, indigent adult medical care, alcohol and drug abuse and mental health care. Residents who reply, “What difference do indigent medical services make to me?” need only look at the 20% or so increases which have been coming annually to their own medical insurance.

Indigent medical services barely cover the destitute, much less the working uninsured. Your health insurance rates and mine increase as a result.

Some county residents want more jail space. What sense does it make to provide inadequate mental health services, then provide law enforcement and jail space for those committing minor, sometimes victimless crimes, who actually need medication and medical supervision?

Cities and school districts are asked to provide for jail booking fees and other revenue needed by the county general fund, which provides for health services. The more inadequate the state health dollars, the more essential that the county raise local revenue to make up the losses from the state. Everyone stands to gain as our county is successful in getting its fair share of state dollars.

Lastly, how many county residents are going to want to be told that yes, their taxes will be going up and, yes, other counties will be getting a larger share of the tax money Orange County residents are paying?

Now is the time to call our legislators and let them know we want equitable state funding.

WENDY KELLEY, Vice President, Southcoast Alliance for the Mentally Ill