Senior News January, 2002 Vol. 21. No.  1

 

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

A time of giving-community groups nurture themselves and others: Pacific Union School

Health care: Senator Chesbro holds public forum

Major education summit set for the North Coast

Our community at work

Caregiver Registry: New two-tiered model will make it easier to meet community demand

Del Norte County: Northcoast Writers Group forms after conference

Pick up a copy today! Better yet, subscribe and never miss an issue!

Health care
Senator Chesbro holds public forum
by Dr. George H. Crosthwaite

A standing-room-only group of concerned citizens met with Senator Wesley Chesbro Dec. 5 at the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors chambers to discuss affordable health care. Senator Chesbro is the chair of Subcommittee No. 3 on Health, Human Services, Labor and Veterans Affairs for the California Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee.
Chesbro is a leader among a growing number of public servants who are acutely aware of this growing crisis in the health care delivery system. The purpose of the December meeting was to bring together consumers and providers for an open discussion of just what's wrong and how to fix it.

Finding insurance plans that are interested in serving rural areas is becoming more difficult each day. Most such plans are designed to serve much larger urban areas and simply find it unattractive from a business perspective to deal with higher provider rates and more unmanageable risk. Casey Young, legislative director of the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS), discussed the loss of Health Net contract and its impact on approximately 15,000 current and retired workers in Humboldt County. Earlier in the year, CalPERS did consider contracting directly with rural providers but unexpectedly tabled this approach without having any viable alternative. Of particular concern to retired individuals and others on fixed incomes is the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs. The issue of prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries is unresolved, and any attempts by local benefit programs to deal effectively with this will be complicated by federal law.

In response to the question of adequate local resources, Dr. Alan Glaseroff, medical director of the Humboldt-Del Norte Foundation for Medical Care, pointed out that there are considerable resources available to both deliver and manage quality care; but outside interests show little inclination to partner with rural areas. Dr. Glaseroff further pointed out that a local organization, the Community Health Alliance of Humboldt-Del Norte, Inc., is hard at work on developing cost-effective, quality alternatives for employers who are either being kept out of the health insurance market or those that must drastically reduce benefits. The Community Health Alliance is also busy with various projects to help the uninsured and to meet pressing public health problems such as substance abuse.

The Community Clinics in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties do a tremendous job serving those in most need. In fact, the clinics see approximately one-third of all patients treated in the area. Herrmann Spetzler, executive director of the Open Door Clinic, said that in order to be successful in today's health care environment we must challenge our old beliefs and look to new and creative ways of financing and delivering care. New partnerships will need to be made between the public and private sectors and between those within and outside of health care.

As the understanding of the problems we face as residents of this rural community becomes clearer, we must discipline ourselves to work together to find the solutions. The North Coast is blessed with many dedicated and talented people who must turn their focus to practical answers no matter how daunting. That, of course, is what Senator Chesbro's meeting was all about.

Dr. George H. Crosthwaite is executive director of the Community Health Alliance. His e-mail is drghc@northcoast.com.