SR-106-023-02 (13)
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C/ED:CNS:CT:sh
June 12, 1984
Santa Monica, CalIfornIa
TO:
Mayor and CIty Council
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FROM: Social Services CommIssion
SUBJECT: Request by SocIal SerVIces CommISSIon to Address
CouncIl RegardIng Support for Health Care FundIng
On May 1, 1984 the SocIal SerVIces CommIssion voted to recommend
that the CIty CouncIl, durIng the fIscal year 1984-85, allocate
the necessary funds, staff-tIme, and/or resources to support
further study and actIon on health care Issues In Santa MonIca.
The recommendatIon was transmitted to CouncIl as a part of the
CIty commISSIon workp1an and budget requests.
In order to allow for dISCUSSIon by Council prIor to adoptIon of
the CIty'S 1984-85 budget, the CommIssion would like to address
thIS Issue at the June 12th meetIng.
Prepared by: Conrado Terrazas
Staff LIaison, SOCIal Services CommISSIon
CommunIty and EconomIc Development
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Draft of Suggested Recommendation o~ Health-Care - for review only
~he pu"blic forum "Keeping Health Care Affordable', spor_sored by
the Social SerVlces Commission on ].jarch 31st, 1984, included testi-
mony by both providers ar.d eonsumers of health-care in 2anta ~;onica
that clearly demonstrated that many poor people are elther un-served
or under-served. This is especially tragic in a City that possesses
an abundaroce of health-care facilities and providers. Findings pre-
viously revlewed by the COMmisslo~ froM t~e Community Needs Assess-
ment, the Katlo~al Eealt~ Law ProJect health-needs report. and tr.e
cOMMur.ity hearir.gs conducted by the Social Services Com~ission ir
January of this year corroborate the testimony at the health-care
foru~. Corements by the expert panellsts and the public atterdi~e
the forum also i~dicated that the costs of health-care are risin~ at
a~ alarmin~ rate for middle-class citizens as well, and that most
Sa~ta ~onica resldents will be feelip.g the pinCh of these costs in
the near future. Moreover, many employers - particularly small
~~siness-people - are increasingly affected by the risi~g costs of
their employees' health insurance plans. Everyone will benefit if
ways can be fou~d to reduce costs of health insurance, while mai~-
taj~ing full be~efits.
On the basis of the above findings. one can conclude that the
delivery of affordable, quality health-care is a concern ir the lives
of most Santa ~onlca residents. Therefore, the Social Services
Commlssion reco~~ends that the City Council. during the comin~ fiscal
year 1984-85, allocate the necessary funds. staff-time, and/or re-
sources to allow the City to: 1.) Identlfy the best possible op-
T.10nS for increasing health-care serVlces to tbe poor in our comrrur-
ity; and 2.) Explore avenues through which all of the residerts
of Santa l,:onica will have both greater access to affordable, local
~ealth-care. and greater impact on the quality of the care they
receive.
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