Amanda McAllister-Wallner officially takes the helm as Health Access California’s sixth Executive Director, and first new leader in 23 years In McAllister-Wallner’s nearly nine years at Health Access, she has served in key leadership roles including Interim Executive Director since last year, Deputy Director from 2021-2024, and Director of the CA LGBTQ+ HHS Network from […]
Health and Immigrant Rights Advocates Respond to Medi-Cal Budget Shortfall
The State’s Finance Department sent a letter to Legislature yesterday alerting them of an additional $3.4 billion appropriation for Medi-Cal for this fiscal year Sacramento, CA – For more than a decade, the Health4All coalition, led by Health Access California and the California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC), has been working closely with the state Legislature […]
House Republicans Move Forward Plan to Cut Health Care for Millions of Californians
All nine California House Republicans voted yes on the resolution that seeks to cut $880 billion from Medicaid, impacting millions of their constituents SACRAMENTO, CA – Health Access California, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition, released the following statement following tonight’s vote by Congress to move forward a budget resolution that seeks to cut […]
LGBTQ and Health Advocates Condemn Federal Executive Order to Restrict Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth
If enacted, President Trump’s extreme Executive Order could directly harm the health of tens of thousands of trans youth under the age of 19 in California SACRAMENTO, CA – Health Access and the CA LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network released the following statements following the January 28, 2025 Executive Order issued by President Trump […]
Legislation Introduced to Ensure Accurate Health Plan Provider Directories
As health advocates continue to hear stories of consumers who can’t find care in their network, AB 280 (Aguiar-Curry) would finally hold health plans accountable to keep their provider directories up to date SACRAMENTO, CA – As the problem of inaccurate health plan provider directories persists in California, Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry took on the cause […]
Health Advocates Release New Factsheets on What’s at Risk for Medi-Cal & Covered California
Under current Congressional Republican proposals, major cuts could be looming for Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) and ACA exchanges like Covered California. New factsheets detail statewide impacts of cuts to Medi-Cal and Covered California, and chart the number of people in each of California’s 53 congressional districts that could be affected by these cuts. CA health […]
Health Care Access & Affordability Protected in 2025-2026 CA State Budget Proposal
The 2025-2026 state budget released Friday by Governor Gavin Newsom’s office maintains key commitments in health care, including keeping Medi-Cal available for all income-eligible Californians regardless of age or immigration status, and continuing efforts to address the rising cost of care and prescription drugs. However, federal health care cuts loom large for millions of Californians […]
2024 Health Care Consumer Champions Revealed in Health Access Legislative Scorecard
Health Access 2024 Legislative Scorecard analyzes how California legislators voted on bills that improve consumer protections and remove financial barriers to accessing health care for millions of California health consumers. With the addition of some contentious health care bills scored this year, less than half (45%) of State Senators and Assemblymembers scored 100%, earning the […]
New Factsheet on California’s Resistance to Trump’s Sabotage of Our Health Care System
Health Access California releases list of actions California has taken to protect consumer’s and our state’s individual market from harmful federal actions But even with this robust framework, much remains at risk if federal funding is cut or otherwise withheld SACRAMENTO, CA – Health Access California, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition, today released […]
Health Care Advocates Vow a Renewed Fight for Health Care in CA
SACRAMENTO, CA – Amanda McAllister-Wallner, interim executive director of Health Access California, the statewide health care advocacy coalition, issued this statement following the election of Donald Trump as President: “Make no mistake – our health care is in the crosshairs once again. The difference now is that the Affordable Care and the Inflation Reduction Act […]