UC Health Urges California Congressional Delegation to Oppose Graham-Cassidy Health Bill

BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 22 -- The University of California issued the following news release:

John D. Stobo, M.D., executive vice president of UC Health, today (Sept. 22) sent the following letter to the California congressional delegation urging them to oppose the Graham-Cassidy health care bill.

Writing on behalf of UC's five nationally acclaimed medical centers and 18 health professional schools, Stobo outlines UC Health's highest priorities: one, ensuring the continuation of affordable, comprehensive health insurance coverage; and two, preserving the ability of academic medical centers, like UC Health, to care for the sickest patients, serve as vital safety nets to vulnerable populations and train the next generation of clinicians and researchers.

In his letter, Stobo writes that if the Graham-Cassidy legislation were to go into effect, "California would lose approximately $41.1 billion from 2020-2026 relative to the current Affordable Care Act (ACA) and more than $57.5 billion in 2027 and each year thereafter ... leav[ing] California with no other choice but to diminish its current Medicaid benefits or offer less care to patients."

Stobo explains that Graham-Cassidy legislation would thus greatly diminish UC's capacity to fulfill its tripartite mission of training the next generation of clinicians, innovating medical cures and providing high-quality health care.

The full letter is available here (http://universityofcalifornia.edu/sites/default/files/UC-Health-Graham-Cassidy-CA-Delegation-Letter-9-22-17.pdf).