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\f0\fs24 \cf0 >> Joanne: WHAT IS AS STAKE FOR\
SAN DIEGO IF ALL OR SECTIONS OF\ THE HEALTHCARE PROGRAM ARE SHUT\
DOWN?\ JOINING ME ARE KAMAL MULLENBURG\
AND GREGORY KNOLL.\ THANK
YOU FOR BEING HERE.\ >> GREGORY, LET'S START WITH\
YOU.\ >> IN A NUTSHELL WHAT ARE THE\
PROPONENTS ARGUING.\ >> TODAY STARTS THREE DAYS, SIX\
HOWS ON FOUR TOPICS.\ IS IT TOO EARLY TO CHALLENGE\
HEALTHCARE LAW BECAUSE THE\ PENALTIES DON'T GO INTO EFFECT\
UNTIL 2014?\ IS THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE ITSELF\
CONSTITUTIONAL?\ IF IT'S NOT CONSTITUTIONAL CAN\
THE REST OF THE LAW SURVIVE\ WITHOUT IT?\
LASTLY, 26 STATES HAVE FILED\ SUIT REGARDING THE EXPANSION OF\
MEDICAID THAT WOULD, IF THEY\ REUSED TO PLAY BALL ON THE\
EXPANSION OF MEDICAID THEY WOULD\ LOSE ALL MEDICAID DOLLARS.\
THEY SAY THAT SANCTION IS NOT\ WITHIN CONGRESSES POWER.\
>> Joanne: NOW WE HEAR A LOT OF\ PEOPLE WHO OPPOSE THIS, THE\
CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN FAIRLY VOCAL.\ >> DO WE KNOW IN TERMS OF\
CALIFORNIA WHAT THE PEOPLES SAY\ THAT SUPPORT.\
>> CALIFORNIA GENERALLY IS\ TRACKING WITH THE REST OF THE\
COUNTRY.\ IF YOU JUST ASK THEM WHAT THEY\
THINK ABOUT THE ACA.\ WHEN YOU DRILL DOWN INTO WHAT\
THE ACA IS REALLY ABOUT YOU FIND\ THE SUPPORT GOES WAY, WAY HIGH.\
THAT'S BEEN CONSISTENT ACROSS\ THE COUNTRY TOO.\
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND\ THE LAW.\
THEY HAVE LISTEN TODAY LOST\ SOUND BITES AND IT'S VERY\
\page POLITICAL.\ >> Joanne: LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT\
AND DRILL DOWN IN TERMS OF THE\ LAW.\
TELL US SO FAR WHAT HAS BEEN\ IMPLEMENTD IN CALIFORNIA.\
HOW ABOUT AFFECTING PEOPLE IN\ SAN DIEGO NOW.\
>> I WISH I HAD THE LOCAL\ NUMBERS BUT I DON'T.\
FOR INSTANCE YOU CAN COVER YOUR\ CHILD UP TO AGE 26 ON YOUR PLAN.\
OVER TWO AND A HALF MILLION\ PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COVERED THAT\
WAY.\ THAT EXPANDED AGE BENEFIT WAS A\
HUGE BENEFIT.\ WE CAN'T EXCLUDE CHILDREN FROM\
COVERAGE BECAUSE OF PREEXISTING\ CONDITIONS.\
THOSE NEEDING THE CARE CAN GET\ IT NOW.\
THEY CAN'T BE REFUSED IN A\ INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP MARKET.\
>> Joanne: YOU HAVE A PERSONAL\ EXPERIENCE ON HOW THIS LAW HAS\
AFFECTED YOUR FAMILY.\ >> YES, MY DAUGHTER HAD A LOT OF\
MEDICAL CONCERNS.\ SHE WAS UNINSURED FOR TWO YEARS,\
TWO AND A HALF YEARS AFTER SHE,\ SHE AGED OUT OF MY COVERAGE\
PLAN.\ THEN WHEN THEY, REIN SATED THAT\
CHILDREN COULD BE ON -- - NOT\ REINSTATED BUT A NEW LAW THAT\
CHILDREN COULD BE ON UNTIL 26 I\ WAS ABLE TO PUT HER ON.\
IT SAVED ME THOUSANDS OF\ DOLLARS.\
I WAS TAKING CARE OF HER OUT OF\ POCKET.\
IT COST OVER TEN THOUSAND\ DOLLARS WHILE SHE WAS UNINSURED.\
FOR HER ONE MEDICAL SITUATION.\ NOW SHE'S COVERED.\
HAS HER OWN INSURANCE THROUGH A\ SMALL BUSINESS, AND EVERYTHING\
IS, IS VERY GOOD.\ >> Joanne: GREGORY, IN TERMS OF\
\page EX A PANING BEYOND THE\ INDIVIDUAL NOW YOU WORK WITH THE\
LEGAL AID SOCIETY DO YOU FIND\ THAT HOSPITALS, DOCTORS,\
BUSINESS KNOW HOW TO ACCESS WHAT\ IS AVAILABLE TO THEM THROUGH THE\
LAW AS WELL?\ >> I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE\
BIGGEST PROBLEMS WITH THE\ AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.\
THERE ISN'T ENOUGH EDUCATION\ DONE FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS ALL OF\
THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT IT.\ IT'S GETTING BETTER.\
I THINK A LOT OF DOCTORS ARE\ VERY SUPPORTIVE.\
IT WAS A VERY NICE PEDIATRICIAN\ WROTE A NICE ARTICLE ANOTHER DAY\
ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS FOR KIDS.\ SOME OF THE THINGS KAMAL TALKED\
ABOUT.\ WHEN YOU TRY TO TAKE IT AWAY\
FROM PEOPLE IT'S DIFFICULT.\ THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE, EVERY\
DAY THEY HAVE THEIR LIVES AND\ THE LIVE THERE CHILDREN CHANGE\
BECAUSE OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE\ ACT.\
>> Joanne: I THINK SOME PEOPLE\ AT HOME MAY SAY WE DON'T HEAR A\
LOT OF THOSE STORIES.\ >> THAT'S TRUE.\
>> Joanne: WHY IS THAT?\ >> I DON'T KNOW.\
MAYBE IT'S A QUESTION OF\ SPENDING MONEY.\
MAYBE IT'S A QUESTION OF WHO\ EVER YELLS THE LOUDEST GETS\
HEARD.\ I REALLY DON'T KNOW.\
WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT IN MY\ WORK I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF\
EXAMPLES.\ I HAD A FAMILY WHOSE LITTLE GIRL\
HAD CONGENATIVE HEART DEFECT.\ AFTER A YEAR THEY COULDN'T GET\
COVERAGE AND ALMOST WENT BROKE\ TAKING CARE OF EVERYTHING THIS\
CHILD NEEDS.\ THE TEARS IN THEIR EYES WHEN\
\page THEY FOUND OUT THEY WOULD HAVE\ THEIR PREEXISTING CONDITION\
OUTLAWED AND THEY COULD GET\ COVERAGE, WAS JUST -- YOU CAN'T\
IMAGINE HOW PEOPLE ARE CHANGED\ FOREVER WITH SOMETHING LIKE\
THAT.\ SAME THING FOR PARENTS WORRIED\
ABOUT THEIR KIDS.\ A SINGLE MOTHER OF TWO, 22 YEARS\
OLD.\ HER MOTHER WAS DESPERATE TO TRY\
TO COVER HER.\ SHE WAS WORKING.\
HER EMPLOYER DIDN'T PROVIDE\ COVERAGE.\
THE MOM PROVIDED COVERAGE AND IT\ WORKED OUT GREAT.\
>> Joanne: WE WILL FOLLOW THE\ STORY.\
THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.\ FOLLOW KPBS FOR MORE ON THE\
ISSUE.\ TONIGHT, TOMORROW AND WEDNESDAY\
BEGINNING AT 7:00 P.M.
WE WILL\ HAVE EXTENDED COVERAGE.\
YOU CAN GO TO THE WEB AT\ KPBS.ORG FOR MORE ON THE ISSUE.\
}