November, 2003
I've come to realize there are certain things I've take for granted in this life. I've taken for granted that I will have basic good health. I've taken for granted that I will have good health care. Well, as with most things you take for granted, sooner or later you get a reality check. I got some negative news during a health check up last week. While I usually wait about five minutes in the waiting room before I see my doctor, I waited for an hour and a half before I was called back to another waiting room to wait another half hour before I actually had my appointment.
I was surprised to see about forty people in the waiting room. Maybe the change in the weather had made more people sick. While I have no doubt the weather was partly to blame, it became clear that there were other forces at work when I saw a huge sign welcoming two new doctors to the practice who used to work at Natividad Medical Center.
I shouldn't be surprised, the doctors who fought to keep the Natividad clinics open...said people who used to go to one of the clinics would be forced to find other providers, and by logical inference those doctors would need to find other jobs. It's true of course that my personal health problems, and having to wait longer at the doctor's office don't exactly add up to a major health care crisis. But I know that people with disabilities in general do utilize health care services at a higher rate than people without disabilities, and it makes me think that if I'm feeling the impact of the loss of Clinics, others must be too.
There has been a lot of discussion lately of a Monterey County sales tax ballot measure called Measure Q. The Measure, a half-cent health care sales tax, would be used to assist with Natividad's budget shortfall. It would generate about $25 million annually for the hospital's operational expenses. Opponents of the Measure say they cannot support it because the language is too vague. They could not support a Measure that does not have a sunset date or specific time when the tax would expire.
According to an impartial analysis prepared by the Monterey County Counsel, the revenue would be used for several specific purposes including meeting operational expenses for emergency room, acute inpatient and ambulatory care including health care provider services, supplies, equipment or materials. These funds would also be used to meet financial reserve needs, and fund capital projects for health care services. I'm no expert but that sounds pretty specific to me. I can't think of any other tax I'm paying that offers that degree of specificity to explain where my money goes.
On the question of the sunset date, the analysis states the sales tax will remain in effect for no less than ten years from the date that it is first collected. After which time, the Board of Supervisors is required to review the financial condition of the hospital. If the financial condition has improved so the collection of the tax can be discontinued, the Board is required to suspend it within two years of making such a determination. Once again, I'm having trouble seeing the problem here. The tax does not go on indefinitely, and it would be pointless to discontinue the tax before the financial condition of the hospital had improved to the point at which it was no longer necessary.
Opponents of Measure Q ask why Monterey County needs both Natividad and Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital? The facilities are three miles apart. McDonalds, they assert would never put two restaurants that close together. Well, I must say I've never heard the placement of hospitals that provide vital medical services compared to the placement of fast food places before, but I guess there truly is a first time for everything. Truthfully, the only connection I can see is, if you eat too much fast food you could end up needing medical services. Natividad and SVMH provide different services, to residents in different areas. There is no comparison between the importance of someone's ability to obtain medical services, and their ability to Super Size.
If you ask me opponents of the Measure are simply taking for granted that someone else will find a solution to Monterey County's health care crisis. Someone will find the money, somewhere to keep the hospital going. My question would be, without Measure Q, who will find it and where? It won't be the opponents; they can't find the money to provide health insurance for their workers that make up the majority of Natividad patients.