MEDIA ADVISORY
May 10, 2013
CONTACT: Khanh Weinberg 408.921.0098
Santa Clara County urges legislators to stand strong for health care safety net
SAN JOSE, Calif. – On the eve of the state’s May revision budget announcement, county health care workers and leaders will join Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Ken Yeager on Monday to deliver an urgent message to Sacramento: Protect the vital health care safety net so many count on for their lives.
- An estimated 157,000 Santa Clara County residents will remain uninsured after the Affordable Care Act becomes official on Jan. 1. Almost half of those, or an estimated 75,000, will be too poor to buy coverage for themselves and will turn to the county’s health care safety net for care.
- 7 out of 10 of the uninsured will be Latino or Asian, half of whom have limited English proficiency.
With less than five months until uninsured Californians can apply for health care coverage through the state, a Sacramento proposal to take $1.5 billion from counties’ health care funding would significantly erode Santa Clara County public health care programs and services and squander opportunities to invest in improved health for all Californians.
Joining President Yeager will be Rene Santiago, Deputy County Director overseeing the Santa Clara Valley Health & Hospital System; Bruce Wagstaff, Director of Santa Clara County Social Services Agency; Kansen Chu, San Jose City Councilman; Cindy Chavez, San Jose Former Vice Mayor; and community leaders from Sacred Heart Community Service, Immigrant Rights & Education Network (SIREN), Asian Americans for Community Involvement, Community First Santa Clara County, and others.
WHAT: Protect Health Care Safety Net press conference
WHEN: 10 a.m., Monday, May 13
WHERE: Valley Medical Center
751 S. Bascom Avenue, San Jose
At Valley Specialty Center, on Renova Dr., by public parking structure
