To the editor: George Skelton, in his March 24 column (“Newsom’s dilemma after providing Medi-Cal to undocumented immigrants”), misses the key point. Cutting Medi-Cal funding for our state’s undocumented immigrants will not decrease the costs of medical care. On the contrary, it will increase costs — unless we want to deport them all, which would be inhumane and a severe blow to our state’s economy.
People get sick and eventually require medical care, and someone will always have to pay the bill. Without a universal system of financing care, it will always be those of us with private insurance as we watch our premiums rise to pay for the care given to the uninsured. That care is far more expensive because these uncovered individuals wait until their conditions are severe and end up in our emergency rooms and hospital beds instead of getting access to regular, lower-cost preventive primary care through public insurance.
Covering historically underserved and uninsured people will always be more expensive initially since the chronic conditions many of them have will need time to be brought under control through access to regular, affordable care. Over time the costs will come down, as there will be savings from avoided emergency visits and hospitalizations. Cutting off care for the undocumented is penny-wise and pound-foolish policy.
Dr. Steve Tarzynski, Santa Monica
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To the editor: Skelton proves one doesn’t have to be full MAGA to perpetuate one of their biggest lies. He writes:
“ … Democrats whiffed on last year were inflation — caused partly by federal government overspending … ”
If that were true, how did President Biden reduce the annual inflation rate between 2021 and 2024, given the massive federal stimulus and infrastructure packages he championed? Reading your articles to see how the other side thinks is a waste of time. You’re all alike.
Thomas Gillman, Los Angeles
