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 […]
Remembering Beth Abbott, Deluxe Patient Advocate
We at Health Access, along with the wider California Capitol community and nationwide health care policy and consumer advocacy community, were saddened to hear yesterday that our dear colleague and friend Beth Abbott passed away this weekend. Beth served as the Director of Administrative Advocacy at Health Access California for nearly nine years, after a long […]
Health Consumer Champions Revealed in New Health Access 2019 Legislative Scorecard
Looking back on a momentous year for California health care consumers, earlier this week Health Access California released its 2019 Legislative Scorecard highlighting key bills supported by health care consumer advocates in the 2019 legislative session. The report details how policymakers voted on key bills to protect patients, expand coverage, and increase oversight on insurers, the health […]
Thank You to Nancy Gomez’s Decade of Health Care Consumer Advocacy
In early 2008, before there was an Affordable Care Act or even a clear indication of who the candidates for President would be, Health Access joined the national effort to pass comprehensive health reform: Health Care for American Now (HCAN). We knew we couldn’t win health reform with President Bush still in office, but we […]
Cliff Allenby: A Health Care Leader We Could Rely On
We note with sadness the passing of Cliff Allenby, former Secretary of Health and Human Services, former head of the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (aka MrMIB), former head of departments without number. As a number of Governors, including the current (and former) Governor Brown note in the Sacramento Bee, he was a true public […]
RIP Hank Lacayo, leader for workers, seniors, Latinos, & all of us
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 […]
Jack Knox (1924 – 2017) and his Impact on California’s Health Care System
We note with sadness the death on April 4 of former Assemblymember John T. Knox at age 92.
RIP Dorothy Rice, Pioneer in Health
We were saddened to hear of the passing this weekend of Dorothy Rice, 94, a world renowned medical economist and health statistician, who served on the Health Access Foundation board for over a decade until 2015. UPDATED: Here’s the New York Times obituary. Professor Dorothy P. Rice was Professor Emerita of Medical Economics in the Department […]
Year of 2016 in Review: When We Work, We Win
The Presidential election will be what 2016 is remembered for–and for good reason, given how massively consequential it will be, on countless issues and even our national identity. Health Access California has been actively organizing for the #Fight4OurHealth in California to be ready for the renewed national debate in 2017 on health policy and health care. […]