This evening, California leaders announced agreement on many items in the state’s 2017-18 Budget, including key improvements in the Medi-Cal program. Health and consumer advocates praise the restoration of dental and optical benefits for the Medi-Cal program that covers over 14 million Californians–and urged additional investments using revenues raised from Proposition 56 tobacco tax approved […] Read More

We at Health Access California were saddened to hear of the recent passing of our former board chair of five years, Frances Gracechild, a lifelong disability and senior rights advocate, who also served as executive director of Resources for Independent Living (RIL) in Sacramento since 1981. Her death at 71 years old was a surprise to […] Read More

A budget report from our policy advocate Myriam Valdez: Over the last week, the Budget Conference Committee met to begin resolving differences between the Senate and Assembly’s versions of the state budget. The committee is tackling issues including cap and trade, poverty alleviation, education. child care, and health care. In the meantime, the “Big Three”– […] Read More

This week is deadline week in the state legislature, where bills need to be passed by Friday out of the house of origin in order to proceed for the year. Both the California Senate and Assembly are undergoing marathon sessions throughout the week to consider and vote on hundreds of bills. In health care, the […] Read More

New estimates released today by the Congressional Budget Office show that with the more recent amendments, the GOP’s American Health Care Act as passed in the House of Representatives would still leave 23 million more Americans uninsured within a decade, spiking premiums for million more, and undermine key patient protections on premiums and benefits. In […] Read More

McCarthy, Denham, Valadao, Nunes, in the Central Valley. LaMalfa, McClintock, in California’s rural north. Knight, Cook, Calvert, in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. Royce. Rohrabacher. Walters, in Orange County. Issa, Hunter, in San Diego. All 14 Republican Congressmembers from California voted for the American Health Care Act, a bill that: would leave 4-5 million […] Read More

It’s obviously a very disappointing day, with the American Health Care Act passing, and with all 14 California Republican Representatives voting for the bill. We always said that the California delegation would make the difference, and they certainly did: It was Reps. Denham, Valadao, and Knight—all in swing districts and all who expressed opposition or […] Read More

For six months since the election, we have been focused on the #Fight4OurHealth, working to stop those who would rollback our progress on health care, repeal the ACA, and cut and cap Medicaid. Tomorrow is the vote, and the whip count is very, very close. As President Trump, Speaker Ryan, Majority Leader McCarthy make their final(?) […] Read More

Last night, Jimmy Kimmel hosted a special late night show, his first since the birth of his new son, Billy. Kimmel recounted how a nurse at the hospital saw the baby turn purple, and the story of identifying the congenital heart defect, and the amazing efforts that led to a successful surgery. The whole monologue […] Read More

As major health issues swirl around us, we at Health Access have reflective this year to see the passing of giants who we have been humbled to work with in various capacities: Dorothy Rice, the trailblazing economist who played a key role in the creation of Medicare among many other achievements. We were proud to […] Read More