SoCal Connected Exposes the Human Toll Resulting From Healcare Budget Cuts

SOCAL CONNECTED EXPOSES THE HUMAN TOLL RESULTING FROM HEALTHCARE BUDGET CUTS

All new episode airs November 18 at 8:30 PM.

Los Angeles, November 15 - This week, SoCal Connected puts a face on the healthcare crisis, examining the consequences to individuals--young and old--as a result of drastic state budget cuts. As the uninsured population increases and the cost of care rises, many are not getting the basic health care they need.

FILLING A NEED

At a recent health fair at the LA Sports Arena, over 5,000 uninsured Californians lined up to receive health care services many of us take for granted; from teeth cleaning to a desperately needed pair of eyeglasses, as was the case of a nine-year-old boy who waited in line all night. In some LA neighborhoods, as high as 40% of families live below the poverty line and cannot afford to see a doctor regularly if at all. This annual event, run by the non-profit Care Now, is a life raft for these families. Correspondent Judy Muller talks to some of these families about a situation that has gone from bad to worse due to the nations worsening economy and continuing cuts to Californias healthcare system.

TAKING CARE OF DAD

In the first piece of an on-going initiative about taking care of the elderly, SoCal Connected looks at the possible closures of adult day care health centers as a result of the proposed cuts in Medi-Cal in the 2011/2012 state budget. The cuts, which affect thousands of low-income elderly and disabled adults, may actually cost taxpayers more than the initial savings over time. Recipients could lose access to health monitoring services provided by the health day care facilities and become more reliant on pricier options like institutionalized nursing homes and emergency room trips. SoCal Connected offers the perspective of the Graceful Senescence health center in Inglewood, CA, which is one of the facilities at risk of being shut down, as well as one of its 95-year-old clients and his family.

The all-new episode airs Friday, November 18 at 8:30 p.m. with repeat airings on Saturdays at 6:00 PM, Sundays at 6:30 PM, and Mondays at 10:30 PM.

The Executive Producer of SoCal Connected is Bret Marcus. Co-Executive Producer is Justine Schmidt. Anchor is Val Zavala.

About SoCal Connected

SoCal Connected, winner of the Peabody and duPont-Columbia awards, 14 Emmy Awards, 15 Golden Mikes, 18 LA Press Club Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Award for Best News Documentary and Los Angeles Magazines Best New Local TV Program of 2009, airs Fridays (8:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.), with encores Saturdays (6 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.), Sundays (6:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.) and Mondays (10:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.) exclusively on KCET. For more information, to view episodes online or to post comments, please visit http://www.kcet.org/socalconnected

SoCal Connected is made possible through the generous support of The Ahmanson Foundation, serving the Los Angeles community since 1952; Jim and Anne Rothenberg; The Maddocks-Brown Foundation; The Elizabeth Hofert-Dailey Trust; The John Randolph Haynes & Dora Haynes Foundation; The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, UCLA and U.S. Bank.

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