Measure Will Increase Medi-Cal Provider Reimbursement Rates
California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 35, a measure that will protect access to health care for nearly 15 million Californians, by providing increased and dedicated funding for the chronically underfunded Medi-Cal program. L.A. Care Health Plan is proud to have been at the forefront of lobbying efforts to increase reimbursement rates for safety net providers caring for Medi-Cal patients. In June 2022, L.A. Care’s CEO John Baackes organized the L.A. County Safety Net Coalition, which consisted of health plans, hospitals, clinics, doctors, and others in the healthcare industry, all working toward a common goal of addressing inadequate funding for providers participating in Medi-Cal, which historically receive some of the lowest reimbursement rates in the nation. The group soon expanded to become the California Safety Net Coalition, and its advocacy efforts in Sacramento were an important precursor to the Prop 35 ballot initiative.
Prop 35 is not a tax on the residents of California. Instead, it extends an existing tax on health insurance companies and prevents the state from redirecting the dollars from Medi-Cal provider reimbursement to the general fund for non-health care purposes. The measure protects and expands access to care from primary and specialty care physicians, community clinics, hospitals, family planning, and mental health providers for the most vulnerable populations across the state.
The success of Prop 35 shows that the public supports having a viable and effective Medi-Cal program. It also demonstrates that our health care delivery system thrives when we can become an ecosystem of collaborators vs. competitors. The funding from Prop 35 will go a long way toward advancing health equity, ensuring that all Californians have equal access to health care.