While some California Hospitals anticipate million-dollar funding losses due to the passage of the US Supreme Court ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act, the Los Alamitos Medical Center came out in support of the legislation Thursday.
According to a statement released by the hospital, “We are pleased that the Supreme Court has resolved the questions about the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. We supported the enactment of the law because we believe providing coverage to the uninsured is an important part of improving our nation’s healthcare system. At Los Alamitos Medical Center we remain focused on our mission to provide high-quality care to all of our patients and to serve our community. We are continuously working to improve the quality of care our hospital provides, we and are collaborating with physicians, other providers and insurers to reduce costs by increasing care coordination, deploying advanced health IT systems and using evidence-based standards to ensure every patient receives the best care possible.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, the ruling means as much as $15 billion a year could go to California to expand Med-Cal and help provide coverage to 7 million uninsured residents.
The newspaper notes:
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said covering even a portion of the state's uninsured should sharply reduce the amount of uncompensated medical care that's driving up the price of health insurance...On average, California families pay an extra $1,400 each in annual premiums to cover medical bills for the uninsured, according to the California Endowment...Consumers will be guaranteed health coverage regardless of preexisting medical conditions, and insurance companies are required to spend at least 80% of premiums on medical care for individuals and small businesses.
