ACUPUNCTURE BENEFITS AT RISK

SOUTH BAY TOTAL HEALTH
Health Care in Harmony with Nature
Dr. Arlan Cage, ND, LAc

Governor Cuts Acupuncture from Medi-Cal Budget

10% Across-the-Board Cut Would Eliminate Optional Medi-Cal Benefits

Yesterday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger submitted his proposed 2008-2009 budget to the California Legislature. The Governor's budget projected a $14 billion budget shortfall next year unless steps are taken to reduce the size of the deficit.

As his primary strategy to address the shortfall, the Governor proposed a 10-percent across-the-board reduction to nearly every state agency and program. These reductions are proposed to take effect on March 1, 2008.

Among the specific cuts outlined in the Governor's budget are:

Reductions of $10 million in 2007-08 and $134 million in 2008-09 by eliminating certain Medi-Cal optional benefits including incontinence creams and washes, acupuncture, adult dental, audiology, optometry, optical, chiropractic, podiatry, psychology, and speech therapy. (Governor's Proposed 2008-9 California Budget)

If adopted by the Legislature, the Governor's spending reductions would completely eliminate acupuncture from Medi-Cal effective March 1, 2008.

The Governor also proclaimed a fiscal emergency and called for a special session of the Legislature to begin early implementation of his proposed budget reductions. This proclamation requires the Legislature to act on the anticipated $3.3 budget shortfall for the 2007-08 budget year within 45 days.

What You Can Do...
If you would like to help CSOMA organize on this issue, please contact the CSOMA office at the phone number or e-mail address below.

To voice your opposition to the Governor's proposed elimination of acupuncture from Medi-Cal, contact your California State Senator and Assemblymember as well as...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Sacramento office (916) 445-2841
E-mail from the Governor's website at gov.ca.gov

Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez (D-Los Angeles)
Sacramento office (916) 319-2046
E-mail speaker.nunez@assembly.ca.gov

Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland)
Sacramento office (916) 651-4009
District office (510) 286-1333
E-mail senator.perata@sen.ca.gov

Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman of Irvine (Orange County)
Sacramento office (916) 651-4033
E-mail senator.ackerman@sen.ca.gov

Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines (Clovis)
Sacramento office (916) 319-2029
E-mail assemblymember.villines@assembly.ca.gov

You can identify and find contact information for your local California State Senator and Assemblymember by visiting Vote-smart.org/

CSOMA CONTACT INFO:
info@csomaonline.org
toll-free at 800.477.4564

2204 Torrance Blvd. Suite 104, Torrance, CA 90501 (310) 803-8803 futuremail@southbaytotalhealth.com