California’s healthcare system is overwhelmed. We have watched as hospitals and clinics shuttered their doors in recent years, and we have heard from patients that it can take months to see a doctor or specialist. The urgent care clinics are few and far between, in many communities, and emergency rooms are overcrowded. More than 15 million people; including half of all people with disabilities, 3 in 7 children, and 2 in 9 adults are Medi-Cal patients in California and there simply are not enough healthcare providers or clinics to serve this growing population.
In the Central Valley, we are living in a healthcare desert. Our provider-to-patient ratios are severely disproportionate when compared to other regions, and the struggle is shared by all of us who are working to deliver high-quality care. But there is hope with Proposition 35 on the ballot.
Prop 35 will improve health care for all Californians, promising dedicated resources for community health centers, hospitals, emergency rooms, primary care, family planning, mental health providers, and specialty care. Prop 35 also funds dental care, community health workers and healthcare workforce development, all crucial to a healthy and thriving community. To support our long-range goals of increasing our provider numbers, Prop 35 addresses healthcare workforce issues by securing dedicated funds to support training and education.
By providing increased funding for healthcare services, Prop 35 will ensure we can build a stronger workforce, with more healthcare professionals to care for California families.
Community Health Centers are a critical safety net program for low-income residents and underserved groups. A stable, long-term funding source for Medi-Cal through Prop 35 would help ensure these populations continue to receive comprehensive care, contributing to healthier and more resilient communities.
The best part about this ballot measure is that it will not cost taxpayers. Prop 35 simply prevents the state from redirecting health care funds for non-health care purposes. It guarantees that tax dollars collected from the Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) are spent as intended, ensuring these funds are put to work expanding access to health care. Currently, there is no oversight regarding how the MCO funding is used. Prop 35 creates a stakeholder advisory committee made up of healthcare representatives to advise how this money is invested each year. This is an important piece.
Over the past 15 years, the state has redirected more than $30 billion in MCO tax revenue. Prop 35 will put a stop to that practice and address many of our healthcare challenges without taking any existing resources from the state budget. The chronic underfunding of the Medi-Cal system over decades has made it impossible for millions of patients to get timely access to care. We can fix that and help ensure patients have access to the comprehensive health care they need, when they need it.
Prop 35 will restore billions in desperately needed funding for Medi-Cal services, workforce training and education. Most importantly, it will protect this funding source from being affected by the volatile nature of our state budget.
Permanent Medi-Cal funding through Prop 35 would provide crucial healthcare access for millions, reduce the economic burden on families, and promote overall public health. These benefits would ripple through our communities, creating healthier lives for Valley residents, and helping meet the healthcare needs of California’s diverse and growing population.
When everyone has access to healthcare, everyone wins. Let’s support Prop 35 and work together to close the gaps in patient access here in the Valley, and across the State.
David Quackenbush, MHA
Chief Executive Officer, Golden Valley Health Centers
