"As a physician, I am often confronted with the myriad of ways in which our social safety net has become hopelessly inadequate. Every minute of every day in the Bay Area, we are all witnessing a health care crisis playing out in our streets. It is a crisis that has become an issue for public safety as well. Hundreds of people are falling through a gaping hole in our social safety net and becoming unhoused, uninsured, unemployed or chronically hungry."
"As a result of H.R. 1, the Trump administration has slashed funding in health insurance, mental health care, housing, food, child care and even heating assistance. We know that this will lead directly to a surge of demand across Santa Clara County's public health care system, particularly for our fellow residents who are close to falling through our safety net, including infants and children who will lose access to primary and preventive care like vaccines."
Santa Clara County faces a worsening public health and safety crisis as residents become unhoused, uninsured, unemployed, or chronically hungry. Federal H.R. 1 cuts eliminated major funding for health insurance, mental health, housing, food, child care, and heating assistance, threatening about $1 billion per year to the county health system. Those cuts will increase demand for local public health services and risk loss of preventive care for infants and children. County leaders drafted Measure A to offset cuts and preserve hospitals, emergency rooms, and the local safety net. Polling showed 64% of voters found the prevention-of-closures message convincing.
Read at San Jose Spotlight
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