San Diego County initiative to reduce health care costs moves forward

The county Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted 4-0 in favor of proposals intended to make quality healthcare more accessible and affordable for residents.

As proposed by Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, the plan calls for increasing reimbursement rates for Medi-Cal recipients and reduce the cost of prescription drugs for San Diegans, via advocacy at federal and state government levels.

In a news release from Lawson-Remer's office, the board also voted to appoint her and Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe to serve on a new ad hoc subcommittee that will:

• review information collected by Sarah Aghassi, interim chief administrative officer, and stakeholder feedback;
• provide strategies and opportunities to increase Medi-Cal reimbursement rates, along with new or additional sources of funding; and
• develop findings and recommendations submitted to the board.

Although supportive of other proposal recommendations, Supervisor Jim Desmond cast a "no" vote on establishing an ad-hoc committee. He said all supervisors should be involved when it comes to input on Medi-Cal reimbursement.

Before the vote, Lawson-Remer said that Medi-Cal was one of the issues that "is really technical ... but it is so important to the lives of so many people."

According to Lawson-Remer's office, nearly 1 million people in the county, including close to 325,000 children, rely on Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, as a "vital support system to safeguard their health and well-being."

American Hospital Association data shows that hospitals received payments equivalent to only 88 cents for every dollar spent on Medicaid patients in 2020, resulting in underpayment totaling nearly $25 billion, Lawson-Remer's office said.

"The longstanding issue of low reimbursement rates makes it harder for people to find care, contributes to a shortage of healthcare workers, and results in more San Diegans winding up the E.R. -- which puts a huge strain on the region's entire healthcare system and affects all of us," said Lawson- Remer.

"We must deliver on the pledge of Medi-Cal and ensure that access to healthcare is not a privilege limited by circumstances, but a fundamental right upheld for all," she added.

Supervisor Joel Anderson was absent from Tuesday's meeting, as he was recovering from a minor medical procedure, according to his office.