The Crisis of the Los Angeles County Public Hospital System: A Harbinger for the Nation

The public hospital system in Los Angeles County, California, is in the midst of a major fiscal crisis that has already led to a serious reduction of capacity and could continue to worsen. Given the importance of the public system in a county where 30 percent of the population is uninsured and private hospitals provide very little uncompensated care, what happens in L.A. County is a harbinger for other cities and counties in the United States. This article highlights the issue of the extent to which local taxpayers, as opposed to state or federal taxpayers, are responsible for the continued operation of public hospitals and safety-net facilities in their communities.