Undocumented Californians are explicitly and unjustly excluded from accessing and purchasing health care coverage plans through Covered California, the state’s marketplace established under the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). Assembly Bill 4 (Arambula) would address this exclusion by taking the first step toward allowing undocumented Californians to buy health plans through Covered California. Specifically, AB […]
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 […]
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 […]
Major Health Care Consumer Wins this #CALeg and #CABudget Session
With the Governor’s final actions on bills last week, health consumer advocates applauded a major year in health reform, where California continued its leadership on health care access, affordability, and equity. Californians will see both short and long-term benefits from the bills and budget items adopted by Governor Newsom and the state legislature this year […]
Major Health Care Consumer Wins this CA Legislative Session
With the Governor’s final actions on bills last week, health consumer advocates applauded a major year in health reform, where California continued its leadership on health care access, affordability, and equity.
Tens of Thousands of Young Adult Californians Will Keep Health Coverage Under New DHCS Action
Health, community, and immigrant rights advocates applaud the action taken today by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to prevent tens of thousands of Californians from being dropped from Medi-Cal coverage.
California Makes History By Becoming the First State to Provide Access to Health Care for All Income-Eligible Residents, Regardless of Immigration Status
With last night’s announcement of the state budget agreement, California makes history as the first state to agree to fully remove exclusions for Medi-Cal (California’s version of Medicaid) coverage for all who are income-eligible, regardless of age or immigration status. The final 2022-23 State Budget closes the gap in coverage for approximately 700,000 undocumented Californians ages 26-49, the last remaining age group to be excluded from accessing comprehensive Medi-Cal coverage, starting no later than January 1, 2024. This is expected to lead to the largest drop in the rate of uninsured Californians in a decade.
New Budget Deal to Extend Major Help to Afford Health Care for Millions of Californians
A statement by Anthony Wright, executive director, Health Access California, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition, on the announcement of a California state budget deal between Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders, and the impact on Californians accessing and affording health care and coverage:
New #CABudget Deal Extends Major Help to Afford Health Care to Millions of Californians
The Governor and Legislature announced a final deal on the California state budget late yesterday, including some major investments in a variety of health and human services. We greatly appreciate that this state budget deal includes crucial commitments to improve health care access and affordability for Californians, providing real relief to many immediately, with the […]
CA Health Consumer Advocates Respond to Legislative State Budget Agreement
Below is a statement from Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition, on the just announced 2022 – 2023 state budget agreement between the California State Senate and Assembly: