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WORLD NEWSTuesday 17 November 2015
Puerto Ricans fear for their health as federal cuts loom
DANICA COTO
Associated Press
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)
— An incurable disease
has given Jose Gonzalez
Ortiz the health of an old
man at age 42, and the
collapsing Puerto Rican
health system only adds to
his pain.
He was refused the $300
worth of monthly medica-
tions he needs to treat the
degenerative illness known
as Lou Gehrig’s disease that
attacks the cells that con-
trol his muscles. His health
care plan won’t pay for
the respiratory equipment
that doctors say would
ease his breathing. Unable
to walk, he lurches about
on a walker donated by
his church because he was
denied a wheelchair for his
amyotrophic lateral sclero-
sis, or ALS.
“I’m so angry and frus-
trated,” the former prison
guard said at his home in
the seaside town of Are-
cibo.
Despite the Christmas tree
and lights his wife put up
early to cheer up their
home, this is a gloomy sea-
son for Gonzalez and 2.37
Argentine presidential candidates blast each other in debate
PETER PRENGAMAN
Associated Press
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
(AP) — Argentina’s two
presidential candidates on
Sunday claimed the other
was lying and running from
his record during a debate
filled with barbs that were
clearly aimed at appeal-
ing to undecided voters
a week before an historic
runoff election.
Ruling party candidate
Daniel Scioli, the chosen
successor of outgoing Pres-
ident Cristina Fernandez,
said the economic ideas
of opposition candidate
Mauricio Macri “were a

crisis coming on,” said Dr. through 2017.
Medical care experts say
Jose Carlo Izquierdo, a the cuts will pressure doc-
tors and hospitals to pro-
neurologist and dean of vide services for less mon-
ey, and more physicians
the University of Puerto Ri- will likely leave Puerto Rico
for better pay on the U.S.
co’s medical school. mainland.
Meanwhile, few doctors
Funding for Puerto Rico’s with specialties would re-
main on an island where
Medicare Advantage about 45 percent live in
poverty and the number
program, serving about of those 65 and older in-
creased by 28 percent
560,000 of the island’s more from 2000 to 2012.
“It’s a perfect storm,” said
disadvantaged people, Dr. Antonio Puras Baez, a
surgeon and chair of the
will be slashed by 11 per- urology department at the
University of Puerto Rico.
cent in January, a move “Patients will be left without
services.”
expected to lead to more Officials say Medicaid re-
imbursements for Puerto
expensive copays and the Rico are already 70 per-
cent lower than on the U.S.
loss of some benefits. More mainland, while Medicare
reimbursements are 40
Jose Gonzalez Ortiz, 42, who suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease, cuts to Medicaid are an- percent lower. Medicaid
uses a towel to wipe away his tears while being interviewed provides health care for
by the Associated Press at his home in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. ticipated over the next two people of limited resourc-
The 42-year-old former prison guard struggled moving from es, while Medicare serves
the porch to inside his modest concrete house, using a walker years, affecting about 1.6 people 65 and older and
that his church donated because Puerto Rico’s straining public those younger with certain
health care system won’t pay for a wheelchair, and will soon million Puerto Ricans like disabilities.q
be picking up the bill for less. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)
Gonzalez who rely on the
funds through Mi Salud, a
local government health
care plan.
million of other Puerto Ri- implemented nevertheless. “Things are becoming
cans who rely on a health The cuts will affect the en-
system funded by Medic- tire U.S., but Puerto Rico worse and worse and
aid and Medicare. is expected to feel them
The island is bracing for more acutely because worse, and we’re not see-
steep funding cuts to fed- the island already receives
eral health care plans that lower funding levels than ing the light at the end of
serve nearly 70 percent of the mainland, it has a pov-
the U.S. territory’s 3.5 mil- erty level higher than any the tunnel,” said his wife,
lion people. Local officials U.S. state and it is already in
have been talking with the the midst of an economic Brenda Torres Lopez.
federal government about crisis and a nearly decade-
the proposed funding loss, long recession. Puerto Rico spends about
but believe they will be “There’s a devastating
$11 billion a year on health
care, while the federal
government provides
nearly $6 billion through
Medicare and Medicaid
programs and is on track
to cut at least half of that

danger for society” and facing the country was a tines are frustrated by in- Macri. The tight finished
would “bring Argentina to government that “never flation near 30 percent, means a runoff on Nov. 22.
its knees.” stopped lying to people.” restrictions on buying U.S. While Scioli got more votes
Scioli, the governor of the Macri said that lowering dollars and few job oppor- in the first round, Marci has
vast Buenos Aires province, poverty rates by revital- tunities. become the front-runner,
argued that a devaluation izing sagging sectors of At the same time, Argen- according to polls in recent
of the Argentine peso was the economy, such as the tines have nightmarish weeks that put him ahead
inevitable under Macri, as national railroad system, memories of the country’s by as many as 8 percent-
were cuts to popular so- would be a central focus 2001-2002 financial crisis, age points. Macri finished
cial welfare programs for on his administration. when Argentina defaulted much better than expect-
the poor and subsidies for “I don’t think people are on $100 billion in debt and ed, particularly in the prov-
everything from gas bills to afraid” of changes, said millions were plunged into ince of Buenos Aires, which
bus fares. Macri, speaking Scioli. “I poverty. That recent his- has 40 percent of Argen-
“Who is going to pay for think you all are the ones tory makes any discussion tina’s 41 million people.
the huge devaluation?” who are afraid because of economic changes par- Four additional candidates
said Scioli. you have abused power.” ticularly sensitive. who ran in the first round
Macri, the mayor of Buenos The election comes at a In last month’s presiden- will not be on the runoff
Aires who has run on free- time when Latin America’s tial election, Scioli got 37 ballot, meaning nearly 30
market ideas, countered third largest economy is percent of the vote com- percent of the electorate
that the biggest problem stagnated. Many Argen- pared to 34 percent for is up for grabs.q