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Access, Budget, Care4AllCA, Equity, Expanding Coverage, Legislation

Legislators and Advocates Unveil 2024 Care4all California Bills for Health Reform

Thirteen CA proposals announced today to get California to a more universal, accessible, and equitable health system, as soon as possible SACRAMENTO, CA – Today health care advocates gathered with legislative champions at the State Capitol to highlight important health reform bills in the 2024 legislative session. The thirteen bills and budget items featured as […]

Access, Network Adequacy

CA State Assembly Passes Patient Protection to Ensure Accurate Plan Provider Directories

AB 236 (Holden), which seeks to improve the accuracy of health plan provider directories for consumers, now heads to the California Senate. ***Impacted consumer stories available upon request***   SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, the California State Assembly passed AB 236 by Assemblymember Chris Holden, which will ensure accurate health plan provider directories, and help consumers […]

Affordability, Consumer Protection, Cost Containment, Mergers, OHCA

New Office of Health Care Affordability Proposal Would Limit Health Cost Growth, Offering Real Relief to Californians

Health and consumer advocates praise new staff recommendations of the Office of Health Care Affordability to set a statewide health growth target at 3% OHCA’s Health Care Affordability Board to make final decision in coming months SACRAMENTO, CA – California’s ambitious effort to rein in the skyrocketing cost of care enters a new phase this […]

Budget, Gov. Newsom, Health4All

Governor Newsom’s 2024-25 Budget Continues California’s Key Commitments in Health Care

Despite a deficit, the 2024-2025 state budget proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom continues key commitments in health care, particularly in Medi-Cal with improvements in rates and access, benefits, quality and equity, and eligibility, and keeping Medi-Cal available for all income-eligible Californians regardless of age or immigration status. As Californians face rising cost-of-living pressures, and higher […]

Affordability, Budget, Care4AllCA, Cost Containment, Covered California

Premiums Remain Low and New Reductions in Deductibles and Co-pays

Today marks the start of the 11th open enrollment period of Covered California and the most affordable year ever for enrollees, with new, significant state and federal financial assistance available. The Inflation Reduction Act continues major premium assistance for the nearly 2 million Californians in Covered California through 2025. Funding included in this year’s state […]

Consumer Protection, Cost Containment, Gov. Newsom, Legislation, Prescription Drugs

Bill Signed by Governor Newsom to Permanently Cap Prescription Drug Costs

AB 948 (Berman) keeps expensive prescription drugs more affordable for Californians with chronic illnesses SACRAMENTO, CA – Over the weekend, California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 948 by Assemblymember Berman to make permanent the existing $250 co-pay cap for prescription drugs, ensuring consumers can count on their monthly prescription drug costs staying consistent, even […]

Gov. Newsom, Legislation, Surprise Bills

CA Governor Gavin Newsom Signs Bill to End Surprise Ambulance Billing for Californians

One of the most impactful health consumer bills this year, AB 716 (Boerner) will prevent Californians from getting $1,000 plus surprise ambulance bills, and take consumers out of the middle of ambulance billing disputes ***Impacted consumer stories available upon request*** SACRAMENTO, CA – Today California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 716 by Assemblymember Tasha […]

Care4AllCA, Legislation, Surprise Bills

State Senate Passes AB 716 to End Surprise Ambulance Billing for Californians

One of the most impactful health consumer bills currently before the CA state legislature, AB 716 (Boerner) takes Californians out of the middle of ambulance billing disputes ***Impacted consumer stories available upon request*** SACRAMENTO, CA – Yesterday with unanimous bipartisan support, California’s State Senate passed AB 716 by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner to end a major […]

Gov. Newsom, Hospitals

Statement on California Distressed Hospital Loan Announcement

SACRAMENTO, CA – Below is a statement from Anthony Wright, Executive Director of Health Access California, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition, in response to Governor Newsom’s announcement today to loan $300 million to 17 hospitals throughout the state under the Distressed Hospital Loan Program. “These funds are much appreciated to support the hospitals […]

Affordability, Announcement, Covered California

Covered California Announces More Affordable Plan Options, Despite Rising Rates

California’s health benefit exchange, Covered California, announced today its plan options in 2024, including that premiums will increase on average 9.6%. However, even with rising premium rates, federal and state affordability assistance will ensure that Covered California will be more affordable than ever. The Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act caps premium costs for all Covered […]

Affordability, Covered California

Covered California Votes to Lower Health Care Cost-Sharing for Hundreds of Thousands

The 2023-2024 California state budget guaranteed that funds raised from the individual mandate tax penalty will be used to lower costs for Californians who purchase care on their own through Covered California. Covered California’s Board voted today to use the funds to implement new 2024 benefits that will significantly reduce deductibles and co-pays for over […]

Budget

Major Health Care Affordability Help for Covered California Enrollees

The 2023-2024 state budget agreement announced between the State Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom includes a major new agreement to improve health care affordability for hundreds of thousands of Covered California enrollees. Agreement will ensure that the majority of funds raised from the tax penalty for not having coverage goes back into a fund to […]

Legislation

Major Bills to Expand Health Care Access and Lower Costs Pass CA Assembly

AB 716 (Boerner) to stop surprise ambulance bills and AB 4 (Arambula) to open up Covered California to all regardless of immigration status passed the Assembly floor with bipartisan votes. Bills to increase health industry accountability on costs pass including AB 1092 (Wood) and AB 616 (Rodriguez). Other key #Care4AllCA priorities to improve the health […]

Budget

Key Medi-Cal Commitments Continue; Improvements to Covered CA Needed

The May revision to the 2023-2024 state budget announced today by Governor Gavin Newsom continues key commitments to improve and expand health care, including removing barriers in Medi-Cal for all income-eligible Californians regardless of immigration status by January 2024, and improvements to CalAIM. A bigger “MCO tax” would provide more federal funds for new investments […]

Consumer Protection, Surprise Bills

Major Bill to Stop Surprise Ambulance Bills was Passed in Emergency Management Committee Today

AB 716 (Boerner) builds on California’s strong patient protections against surprise medical bills by extending them to also include ambulance bills Bill was heard in Assembly Emergency Management committee TODAY at 2:30pm, where it passed 6-0. ***Impacted consumer stories available upon request*** SACRAMENTO, CA – Building on nearly a decade of work to protect Californians […]

Access, Expanding Coverage, Health4All, Under-insured, Undocumented, Uninsured

Statement on Biden Administration’s Expansion of Health Care Access to DACA Recipients

SACRAMENTO, CA – Below is a statement from Health Access California, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition, in response to President Biden’s announcement today to designate all DACA recipients as “lawfully present”, therefore giving them full access to health care coverage through Medicaid and ACA health insurance marketplaces like Covered California. California is home […]

Covered California, Health4All, Legislation

CA Assembly Health Committee to Vote on Bill to Open up Covered California Regardless of Immigration Status, as New Report Details Need for Coverage for All

Despite recent #Health4All Medi-Cal expansions, including the full removal of immigration-based exclusions in January 2024, over 520,000 undocumented Californians will remain ineligible for Medi-Cal and uninsured AB 4 (Arambula), up in Assembly Health Committee Today, seeks to remove immigration status as a barrier to buying a health plan through Covered California SACRAMENTO – To continue […]

Access, Affordable Care Act

Statement on ACA Ruling Putting at Risk Preventative Services for Millions of Californians

SACRAMENTO, CA – Below is a statement from Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, in response to today’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor striking down a major provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires no cost coverage of lifesaving preventive health care services, including: breast cancer screenings, colorectal and […]

Care4AllCA

2023 Care4all California Agenda for Health Reform Announced

Ten CA proposals unveiled today that will get California a more universal, affordable, and equitable health system SACRAMENTO, CA – On the eve of the 13th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, dozens of health care advocates gathered with legislative champions at the State Capitol today to highlight key health bills in the 2023 legislative session. The ten […]

Affordability, Gov. Newsom, Prescription Drugs

Statement Responding to Governor Newsom’s CalRX Announcement Saturday

SACRAMENTO, CA – Below is a statement by Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition on Governor Newsom’s CalRx announcement today. Health Access served as the leading supporter of Governor Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal and SB 852, Senator Richard Pan’s related legislation to directly contract to manufacture prescription drugs. […]

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