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Due to the state budget deficit, Governor Newsom’s Revised 2024-25 Budget includes proposed health cuts that would prevent Californians from getting needed care. Thousands of Californians with disabilities will have home care services cut off due to their immigration status, resulting in further impoverishment and/or more expensive nursing homes. Millions of Californians on Medi-Cal may […]
SACRAMENTO, CA – Below is a statement from Health Access California, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition, in response to the final rule issued today by President Biden to designate all with DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) immigration status as “lawfully present”, therefore giving them full access to health care coverage through ACA […]
In a big win for consumers facing ever-growing health care cost burdens, the Board of the Office of Health Care Affordability voted today to set a 3% health care cost growth spending target over five years, with a phase-in starting at 3.5% in 2025. SACRAMENTO, CA – After a long debate, the board of California’s […]
As an organization that has long fought for patients’ and workers’ rights in coalition with the labor movement, Health Access is proud to announce that we are now a union employer! In a historic move for the organization, Health Access has voluntarily recognized its first staff union, Health Advocates United – UAW local 2013. This […]
Download Factsheet Background Health care costs are outpacing inflation, taking bigger and bigger chunks out of Californians’ incomes and wages. More than half of Californians say they skip or delay care due to high costs. A major driver of these rising costs are health care mergers. As health systems and other health care corporations get […]
Tuesday, April 9, 2024 Media Contacts: Rachel Linn Gish, Health Access California Communications Director, rlinngish@health-access.org Ed Sifuentes, CIPC Communications Director, esifuentes@caimmigrant.org SACRAMENTO – The #Health4All coalition rallied yesterday at the State Capitol for a more inclusive, universal health care system for ALL Californians, regardless of immigration status. While historic gains have been made in removing […]
As Executive Director of Health Access California for 22 years, Anthony Wright led the organization to win dozens of health reforms, coverage expansions, patient protections, public health investments, cost containment efforts and more, including the biggest drop of the uninsured rate of all 50 states following the passage of the Affordable Care Act. SACRAMENTO, CA […]
More than one in three Californians have medical debt . . . When someone has unaffordable medical expenses those unpaid bills often turn into medical debt that is included on their credit report. This damages their credit score and may affect their ability to get an affordable car loan or a mortgage, to rent an […]
Los californianos indocumentados están explícita e injustamente excluidos del acceso y la compra de planes de cobertura de salud a través de Covered California, el mercado del estado establecido bajo la Ley Federal de Cuidado de Salud Asequible (ACA). El proyecto de ley de la Asamblea 4 (Arambula) abordaría esta exclusión dando el primer paso […]
Thirteen CA proposals announced today to get California to a more universal, accessible, and equitable health system, as soon as possible SACRAMENTO, CA – Today health care advocates gathered with legislative champions at the State Capitol to highlight important health reform bills in the 2024 legislative session. The thirteen bills and budget items featured as […]
AB 236 (Holden), which seeks to improve the accuracy of health plan provider directories for consumers, now heads to the California Senate. ***Impacted consumer stories available upon request*** SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, the California State Assembly passed AB 236 by Assemblymember Chris Holden, which will ensure accurate health plan provider directories, and help consumers […]
Health and consumer advocates praise new staff recommendations of the Office of Health Care Affordability to set a statewide health growth target at 3% OHCA’s Health Care Affordability Board to make final decision in coming months SACRAMENTO, CA – California’s ambitious effort to rein in the skyrocketing cost of care enters a new phase this […]
Download Factsheet Background Every health plan in California is required to maintain an updated list of in-network health care providers for their enrollees. These directories list providers such as doctors, mental health professionals, hospitals, labs, imaging centers, and more that are in the health plan’s network. When consumers go to search for a new doctor […]
In 2023, Health Access advocated to provide real relief and remove financial barriers to California health consumers—successfully helping increase access to and/or reduce the cost of coverage, care, prescription drugs, and even ground ambulance services. We supported major investments in Medi-Cal to improve access and continue the commitment to expand coverage to all those who […]
Today marks the start of the 11th open enrollment period of Covered California and the most affordable year ever for enrollees, with new, significant state and federal financial assistance available. The Inflation Reduction Act continues major premium assistance for the nearly 2 million Californians in Covered California through 2025. Funding included in this year’s state […]
AB 948 (Berman) keeps expensive prescription drugs more affordable for Californians with chronic illnesses SACRAMENTO, CA – Over the weekend, California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 948 by Assemblymember Berman to make permanent the existing $250 co-pay cap for prescription drugs, ensuring consumers can count on their monthly prescription drug costs staying consistent, even […]
Health Access California is proud to be a part of a new national coalition of health consumer advocates that are taking on skyrocketing hospital costs as a main driver of our growingly unaffordable health system.
One of the most impactful health consumer bills this year, AB 716 (Boerner) will prevent Californians from getting $1,000 plus surprise ambulance bills, and take consumers out of the middle of ambulance billing disputes
One of the most impactful health consumer bills currently before the CA state legislature, AB 716 (Boerner) takes Californians out of the middle of ambulance billing disputes ***Impacted consumer stories available upon request*** SACRAMENTO, CA – Yesterday with unanimous bipartisan support, California’s State Senate passed AB 716 by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner to end a major […]
We’ve been fighting all year, and now our effort to stop surprise ambulance bills is close to the finish line. We need your help right now to get it done. Use our easy tool to tell your State Senator to vote YES to stop surprise ambulance bills! At this crucial moment, we need you to […]
SACRAMENTO, CA – Below is a statement from Anthony Wright, Executive Director of Health Access California, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition, in response to Governor Newsom’s announcement today to loan $300 million to 17 hospitals throughout the state under the Distressed Hospital Loan Program. “These funds are much appreciated to support the hospitals […]
Health Access, the statewide health care consumer advocacy coalition, urges that the Office of Health Care Affordability seek to do the following: 1) Slow Unchecked Health Care Cost Growth to Benefit Californians & California as a Whole Set a cost growth benchmark that meaningfully reduces the rate of growth—because we will never meet a goal […]
The May revision to the 2023-2024 state budget announced today by Governor Gavin Newsom continues key commitments to improve and expand health care, including removing barriers in Medi-Cal for all income-eligible Californians regardless of immigration status by January 2024, and improvements to CalAIM. A bigger “MCO tax” would provide more federal funds for new investments […]
In a medical emergency, the last thing you should be thinking about is whether calling an ambulance will lead to a huge bill. Has this ever happened to you? Or have you gotten an unexpected bill after an ambulance ride? We want to hear from you. It’s unfortunately a common occurrence for a person to not know […]
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 […]
The 2023-2024 California state budget guaranteed that funds raised from the individual mandate tax penalty will be used to lower costs for Californians who purchase care on their own through Covered California. Covered California’s Board voted today to use the funds to implement new 2024 benefits that will significantly reduce deductibles and co-pays for over […]
The 2023-2024 state budget agreement announced between the State Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom includes a major new agreement to improve health care affordability for hundreds of thousands of Covered California enrollees. Agreement will ensure that the majority of funds raised from the tax penalty for not having coverage goes back into a fund to […]
AB 716 (Boerner) to stop surprise ambulance bills and AB 4 (Arambula) to open up Covered California to all regardless of immigration status passed the Assembly floor with bipartisan votes. Bills to increase health industry accountability on costs pass including AB 1092 (Wood) and AB 616 (Rodriguez). Other key #Care4AllCA priorities to improve the health […]
California’s health benefit exchange, Covered California, announced today its plan options in 2024, including that premiums will increase on average 9.6%. However, even with rising premium rates, federal and state affordability assistance will ensure that Covered California will be more affordable than ever. The Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act caps premium costs for all Covered […]
In a medical emergency, you may be thinking a lot of things – am I ok? Do I need help? Can I get to a hospital? The things you should not be thinking are “can I afford the ambulance ride I need?” or “is this ambulance provider in my network?” Yet many Californians have received […]
Start your plan to give! May 4th is the annual Big Day of Giving, a 24-hour giving event to raise funds for local nonprofits. We’re excited to be participating this year to support our work. At Health Access, we recognize that California’s diverse communities have distinct needs and issues. As a team, we work tirelessly […]
With daylight savings time just around the corner and most of the state experiencing near-record snowpack levels, there’s one other forecast we can expect like any other season, and that’s the beginning of a new state legislative session! Building off another successful year of historic health consumer wins, Health Access is advancing a robust 2023 […]
On Tuesday Governor Gavin Newsom released his proposed 2023-24 state budget, continuing commitments to expand and improve Medi-Cal, including the plan to remove all barriers for income-eligible Californians, regardless of immigration status, in Medi-Cal beginning January 2024. As we continue to face an ongoing pandemic and increasing economic uncertainty, we applaud this step to include […]
Hundreds of thousands of Californians with Covered California health plans will see their co-pays go up and deductibles rise by over one thousand dollars next year, as a result of Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto ofSB 944 by Senator Pan, and Covered California’s board action following the veto. SB 944 s
President Biden has signed the Inflation Reduction Act, the most significant advancement in addressing health care costs since the Affordable Care Act. The law will lower prescription drug prices by allowing the government to negotiate prices, while also capping out-of-pocket and insulin costs in Me
The California Legislature has recently passed a number of bills that will help keep Californians covered and better connect them to their care options.Yesterday, the California Legislature passed SB 644 (Leyva) to make sure Californians filing for unemployment insurance, and likely losing not just
Together, we have made major progress this year to advance health reform, with Congress passing the Inflation Reduction Act that lowered health care premiums, and finally standing up to Big Pharma, giving Medicare the ability to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices.This election will decide
We share the anger of majority of Americans about the Supreme Court of overturning a 50-year precedent and the constitutional right to access critical health care services.Abortion is health care. We know we stand with our allies and millions to ensure safe access to needed care, including reproduc
This week, the U.S. Congress is poised to vote on a much anticipated package of health and other reforms that will provide both immediate and long-term relief from rising health plan premiums and prescription drug prices. In addition to notable climate change and tax policy provisions, the Inflation