What’s happening: The Coalition to Protect Access to Care has submitted more than 800,000 voter signatures to qualify the Protect Access to Healthcare initiative for California’s November 2024 ballot.
What else to know: CHA supports the proposed ballot measure, which would permanently channel managed care organization (MCO) tax revenue to Medi-Cal providers such as hospitals, physicians, women’s health and community clinics, and health centers.
Specifically, the Protect Access to Healthcare initiative would increase reimbursement rates for Medi-Cal providers, some of which have not been increased in decades; expand access to health care for Medi-Cal patients, reducing emergency room usage and shortening wait times; and increase funding for mental health programs that care for children and Medi-Cal patients. It would also enable California to manufacture its own insulin and other prescription drugs at lower prices.
“At a time when hospitals and the entire health care system are struggling to preserve access to vital health care services, this measure would be a monumental win for patients,” said CHA President and CEO Carmela Coyle. “This measure would deliver an ongoing, annual infusion of much-needed resources, especially for Medi-Cal patients.”
To help build support, the coalition has created a toolkit, which includes a sample newsletter that can be adapted for various audiences, sample social posts and graphics, and links to fact sheets.
The Coalition to Protect Access to Care is a group of doctors, hospitals, health care workers, community health centers, Planned Parenthood, dentists, health plans, and emergency responders dedicated to increasing access to health care.
