July 17, 2008

Video: New budget ad in GOP leaders' backyard

A new group, calling itself the California Health Care Partnership, announced on Thursday that is is launching a TV ad campaign decrying budegt cuts in Fresno.

As E.J. Schultz reports at the Fresno Bee, that (wink wink, nod nod) coincidentally is the same media market that Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines and Senate GOP leader Dave Cogdill represent:

Backers of a new new television ad denouncing further cuts in health care programs have decided to debut the ad in Fresno, of all places.

Besides being the largest media market in the San Joaquin Valley, the Fresno area just happens to be in the districts of the Legislature's two Republican leaders, Mike Villines in the Assembly and Dave Cogdill in the Senate.

The 30-second ad, by a coalition of unions and health care advocates, urges the Legislature to "stop the health care cuts, or we'll all pay the price." Taking a starring role are three Valley health care workers: Dr. Virgil Airola of Fresno, Kit deYoung, a licensed vocational nurse of Visalia and Carmen Morales-Board, a nurse practitioner of Bakersfield.

Lawmakers earlier this year slashed Medi-Cal reimbursement rates by 10%. The cuts went into effect two weeks ago. As a result, "many providers are being forced to end their participation in the underfunded Medi-Cal program or even have to stop providing services altogether," according to a statement by California Health Care Partnership, the coalition backing the ad.

Watch the ad below:

So who's footing the bill? The coalition paying for the ad includes the AARP, California Medical Association, Service Employees International Union, Catholic Healthcare West, Kaiser Permanente and Health Access.<

Posted by Shane Goldmacher on July 17, 2008 11:24 AM