Wednesday, May 4 2011 8:03AM
Some doctors and state residents do not think healthcare funds that California health facilities receive are being used as effectively as they could be, reports say.
To improve the health and rural development of counties in California, state officials were granted $10 billion to expand public health coverage to additional communities. Some in the medical community, though, believe the state's plan for the money is too broad and doesn't meet specific concerns of rural residents, according to reports.
"Reform as outlined is far too simplistic and not tailored to the needs of rural communities. The lawmakers didn't have small-town America in mind," Dr. Kate McCaffrey, a San Francisco-area physician, told the Times-Standard.
However, some state officials, including Elliott Smart, governing board chair and director of social services in Plumas County, told the newspaper the healthcare program will be able to expand no-cost coverage to state residents who find it difficult to pay for medical needs.
Del Norte and Humboldt counties applied to join the state's County Medical Services Program. The goal of the 34-county consortium is to help state residents afford healthcare through California's "Bridge to Health Reform" plan.