Background Health care costs for consumers are rising faster than inflation, taking up bigger and bigger chunks of consumers’ incomes. Californians are facing a health care affordability crisis, and that’s why the Legislature and Governor created the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) in 2022. The Legislature and Governor established OHCA with the triple aim […]
Over 200 CA Organizations Ask Congress to Protect Health Care Coverage
RE: Protect & Strengthen Health Care Coverage and Access in the 119th Congress Dear Speaker Johnson, Majority Leader Thune, Minority Leader Jeffries, and Minority Leader Schumer: We, the undersigned organizations, comprise a diverse coalition of community-based, faith-based, labor, county, and health care organizations across California. Medicaid, Medi-Cal in California, is a lifeline for coverage and […]
2024 Year in Review
2024 was a year in flux for both health reform and Health Access. Significant progress was made on lowering health care costs and making care more affordable for millions of Californians. At the same time, we also weathered the departure of our 22-year Executive Director and a national election with major health care implications. Our […]
2024 Statewide Inflation Reduction Act Impact Report
Congressional actions over the last several years have helped lower health care prices for consumers across the state. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed in 2022, extended and expanded financial help for health care premiums for those enrolled in Covered California. This assistance was originally passed as a part of the American Rescue Plan, the […]
Covered California 2025 Rate Announcement
Regardless of the 7.9% average premium increase for 2025 plans announced today by Covered California, the Inflation Reduction Act caps premiums at 8.5% of income, and even less for lower incomes. The Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) along with state investments, have continued to significantly reduce costs for nearly all 1.7 million Covered California […]
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 […]
2023 in Review
In 2023, Health Access advocated to provide real relief and remove financial barriers to California health consumers—successfully helping increase access to and/or reduce the cost of coverage, care, prescription drugs, and even ground ambulance services. We supported major investments in Medi-Cal to improve access and continue the commitment to expand coverage to all those who […]
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 […]
Health Access Joins New National Coalition: Consumers for Fair Hospital Pricing
Health Access California is proud to be a part of a new national coalition of health consumer advocates that are taking on skyrocketing hospital costs as a main driver of our growingly unaffordable health system. Consumers for Fair Hospital Pricing is about standing up to the big hospitals that have become big business, and fighting […]
California Consumer Goals & Guiding Principles for the Office of Health Care Affordability
Health Access, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition, urges that the Office of Health Care Affordability seek to do the following: 1) Slow Unchecked Health Care Cost Growth to Benefit Californians & California as a Whole Set a cost growth benchmark that meaningfully reduces the rate of growth—because we will never meet a goal […]