Proposition Summary

Emergency Medical Services. Funding. Telephone Surcharge. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute. • Provides funding to physicians for uncompensated emergency care, hospitals for emergency services, community clinics for uncompensated care, emergency personnel training/ equipment, and emergency telephone system improvements. • Funded by addition of 3% to existing surcharge rate on telephone use within California, portions of tobacco taxes, and criminal and traffic penalties. • Limits surcharge collected by residential telephone service providers to 50 cents per month. Monthly cap does not apply to cell phones or business lines. • Excludes funding from government appropriations limitations, and telephone surcharge from Proposition 98’s school spending requirements. Summary of Legislative Analyst’s Estimate of Net State and Local Government Fiscal Impact: • Increased state revenues of about $500 million annually from an increased surcharge on telephone bills that would be used (1) to reimburse physicians and hospitals for uncompensated emergency medical care and (2) for other specified purposes. This amount would probably grow in future years. • Continued funding of about $32 million annually in Proposition 99 tobacco tax funds to reimburse physicians and community clinics for uncompensated medical services.

Proposition Number

67

Year

2004

Document Type

Proposition

Pass/Fail

Fail

Popular Vote Results

Y:3243132; A:28.4; N:8165809; B:71.6; Abst:1180742; C:9.38

Election Type

General Election

Proposition Type

Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute

For Author

DARLENE BRADLEY, RN, President, California Emergency Nurses Association; MICHAEL J. SEXTON, M.D., President-elect, California Medical Association; CARMELA CASTELLANO, Chief Executive Officer, California Primary Care Association --

Against Author

L.W. "CHIP" YARBOROUGH, President, The California Chapter of the National Emergency Number Association (CALNENA); H. L. "HANK" LACAYO, President, Congress of California Seniors; LARRY MCCARTHY, President, California Taxpayers' Association

Rebuttal Author

ANGELA MORA, Founder, Office of the Patient Advocate; ROBERT T. DOYLE, President, California State Sheriffs' Association; DR. CHARLES J. SUPPLE, M.D.

Rebuttal Against Author

LOU STONE, Vice President, California Professional Firefighters; RAMON JOHNSON, M.D., Past Chair, California Emergency Medical Services Commission; PAUL KIVELA, M.D., President, California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians --

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