The State - News from June 3, 1987

A Sacramento federal judge handed Gov. George Deukmejian a temporary defeat in his bid to impose a 1% cut in Medi-Cal payments to doctors and other health professionals. U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence K. Karlton extended a preliminary injunction against the cuts, first issued Feb. 13, which prevents any action by the governor until a California Medical Assn. challenge to the plan comes to trial. A pretrial scheduling conference is set for June 15. Attempting to trim $18 million from the health-care program for the poor, Deukmejian ordered the cuts to begin Feb. 1 and to continue through the fiscal year. The CMA has argued that the cuts would force physicians to drop out of the program, leaving the poor without access to medical care.