Making the Full Promise of Health Reform Real

Our efforts have included attempts to expand coverage through public programs, employer-based benefits, or a universal, single-payer proposal. Throughout its history, Health Access has worked to advance comprehensive health reforms and the vision of quality, affordable, universal health care for all Californians.

“Under the Trump Administration, we faced multiple existential threats to the health coverage, but together we were able to protect the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and with it, the health care coverage of tens of millions of Californians.”
President Biden, February 2022

President Biden and Vice President Harris are now committed to building on and expanding health care coverage, using the ACA as a framework. There have been many exciting steps taken under the new Administration including enhanced premium subsides to purchase health care coverage, making health care more affordable than ever. This is key to keeping Californians covered, especially during the health and economic crisis created by COVID-19 where many people have lost jobs and health care coverage.

With the ACA intact, California can take additional and novel steps towards other major reforms in job-based coverage and Medi-Cal, as well as having serious discussions about the path towards a unified-financing system that would lead to full universal coverage.