Personal Injury Law

California Emergency Room Doctors Sue State For Failing Health Care System

By Ross Jurewitz

California emergency room doctors have filed a class-action lawsuit against the State of California alleging that California's healthcare system--stretched and burdened by its' thin budget and high demand for services--is about to collapse on itself. The suit comes at a time when hospitals and emergency rooms are closing at alarming numbers, leading to limited emergency care for injured Californians.

The situation is only becoming worse with the State proposing $1.1 billion in cuts to MediCal, California's low-income health payment system.

This is the second lawsuit brought by doctors against the State of California within a year. In the first lawsuit, led by the California Medical Association, doctors were able to obtain an injunction against the State's proposal to cut MediCal reimbursement rates to healthcare providers by 10%. The State instead reduced current reimbursement rates by 1% to 5%.

Emergency room doctors have been particularly hard hit by the healthcare crisis since, unlike other doctors, they cannot chose to turn away low-income patients who rely on MediCal.

Full post as published by San Diego Injury Lawyer Blog on January 29, 2009 (boomark / email).