Yesterday, the California State Assembly and State Senate voted to pass a 2021-2022 state budget that includes funding for a more universal, equitable, and affordable, health care system. While the Legislature is in agreement on this version of the budget, negotiations continue with Governor Newsom on a final deal. On June 1, the state legislature announced a joint budget proposal that aligned on a number of key health care proposals, which is what was passed today. It includes historic investments in our health system, including a plan for the first-in-the-nation end to the exclusion of income-eligible undocumented adults age 50 and over in Medi-Cal. The Governor’s May Revision included a proposal to end this exclusion for those 60 and over. […] Read More
Major Effort to Contain Inflated Health Care Costs Passes CA Assembly – Office of Health Care Affordability
June 3, 2021The California Assembly passed AB 1130 by Assemblymember Jim Wood, to implement a new statewide Office of Health Care Affordability, a bold effort to address the rising cost of health care. We’ve known for a long time that it’s the price of health care that’s the problem, not that people use more care. The inflated cost of care is taking a bigger and bigger bite out of workers’ wages and family finances, actually forcing many people to skip or ration their care. We cannot make health care more affordable for Californians unless we tackle the underlying cost of care, which would be the mission of this new Office of Health Care Affordability. The price of health care in the United […] Read More
Major Steps This Week Towards #Health4All
May 28, 2021
We’ve made big strides this week on covering more Californians regardless of immigration status, but there’s more to do! Legislature makes push for 50+ On Wednesday, state Senate budget subcommittee 3 on Health & Human Services and the state Assembly budget subcommittee 1 on Health & Human Services took votes on their respective legislative budget proposals. Together, the state Senate and Assembly budgets are aligned on a significant investments to remove exclusions in Medi-Cal for all income eligible Californians age 50 and over, regardless of immigration status. This is a bigger step than proposed by Governor Newsom in his May Revision where he proposed removing the exclusion for age 60 and over. According to a recent LAO report, covering undocumented residents age 50 and over would […] Read More
CA Governor Newsom’s May Budget: Key Health Takeaways
May 17, 2021On Friday, May 14th 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled the 2021-22 May Revision of the state budget, which includes some important investments to improve and expand our health care system, but also missed major opportunities for further expansion and improvement, especially given the size of the surplus. This budget recognizes that our health system is better when everyone has access to coverage, including primary and preventative care, and we will continue to advocate with the Legislature to improve access and affordability in both Medi-Cal and Covered California. We should take this opportunity to get as close as possible a universal health care system, which we realize is more urgent than ever post-pandemic. Prior to the Governor’s May revision, the California […] Read More
California Senate & Assembly Budgets Align on Key Health Care Priorities
April 29, 2021The California State Assembly Democrats unveiled their updated 2021-2022 Budget of Opportunity, which comes on the heels of last week’s announcement from California State Senate Democrats of their Build Back Bolder budget outline. Both budget blueprints aligned on a number of key health care priorities, going above and beyond Governor Newsom’s January 2021 budget proposal, and would take major steps to close the remaining gaps in the uninsured, by eliminating barriers to needed coverage and care. Ultimately, the budget proposals by the Senate and Assembly will get our state closer than ever to our goal of universal health care coverage. These legislative budget proposals would expand access and affordability for hundreds of thousands of Californians seeking coverage and care, and get our state closer to a […] Read More
CA Assembly Health Committee Passes AB 1130 to Contain Inflated Health Care Costs
April 7, 2021
On April 6th, the California Assembly Health Committee passed AB 1130 by Assemblymember Jim Wood on a 12-0 bipartisan vote. The bill will implement a statewide Office of Health Care Affordability, a new effort to address the rising cost of health care. As Californians face an affordability crisis on many fronts, the proposed Office is a bold, far-reaching effort to address inflated health care costs that are taking a bigger and bigger bite out of workers’ wages and family finances, forcing many people to skip or ration their care. This Office would put in place a comprehensive strategy to contain health care costs, setting targets for affordability with accountability, and drive innovation in payment and delivery of care while still […] Read More
The ACA Turns 11 With Its Biggest Boost Ever
March 23, 2021March 23rd marked the 11th Anniversary of the Affordable Care Act taking effect, and for all the good the law has done over the last decade, we are excited by new developments that will provide more help connecting Californians with coverage and care. Thanks to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, getting health care through the ACA is now more affordable than ever before for millions of Californians. On top of the immediate direct financial stimulus provided to many Americans, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) is the biggest boost to health coverage affordability since the ACA, ensuring that no American has to pay more than 8.5% of their income on health care coverage when buying as an individual. This is an urgent and welcome relief for millions […] Read More
#StopAAPIHate
March 19, 2021We at Health Access California and the California LGBTQ Health & Human Services Network are heartbroken over a series of horrific hate crimes targeted towards the AAPI community, most recently in Atlanta. Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of the eight people who lost their lives, six of which were Asian women – mothers, daughters, immigrants trying to make a living and survive through this public health crisis. We stand in solidarity and support of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in our state and across the country, and denounce the surge in attacks on AAPI people. Throughout this COVID-19 crisis, we have been alarmed about anti-Asian animus, which has caused fear and concern in the […] Read More
California Health Advocates Praise Federal Federal COVID-19 Relief Bill on ACA Affordability Assistance
March 9, 2021California consumer and health advocates hailed the current COVID-19 relief package that passed the Senate this weekend for its historic investments in health care coverage and accessibility and urged its final passage in the House of Representatives. The package includes significant funding for vaccine distribution, direct income support to families, and aid to state and local governments that will assist in providing health and human services. Most notably, the federal bill provides historic financial assistance to help millions of Americans afford health coverage in the midst of this pandemic, ensuring that no American will pay more than 8.5% of their income on health care coverage. This premium relief builds on the work already done in California, where the state has been investing […] Read More
In Loving Memory – William (Bill) David Powers
February 22, 2021
William (Bill) David Powers passed away on November 25, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. Bill was a remarkable person, an activist at heart. He genuinely cared about people and acknowledged the value of each person he met. Even after he officially retired from an active and meaningful life advocating for affordable housing, Bill Powers continued to be the conscience of the California Capitol for years to come, on multiple social justice issues, including health care. Health Access California was proud to have him on our board as a representative of the Congress of California Seniors, and he served as our chair for several years. Personally, he was one of the first people I met in Sacramento. As the new organizing […] Read More