East Bay Health Care Leaders Urge ‘Yes’ Vote on Proposition 35

For Immediate Release
August 29, 2024 

CONTACT: Press@VoteYes35.com

Prop 35 Will Help Address East Bay’s Most Urgent Health Care Priorities

East Bay, CA – As Alameda and Contra Costa counties face a deepening health care crisis, local physicians, business leaders, hospitals, community health centers, emergency responders, and more than 200 hundred organizations are calling on voters to support Proposition 35 on the November ballot. The initiative will address the region’s most urgent health care problems by significantly expanding access to quality care.

More than 800,000 people in the counties of Alameda and Contra Costa rely on Medi-Cal for their health insurance, but with acute underfunding in the Medi-Cal program, patients are waiting months for access to primary and specialty care providers. 

“As an OB/GYN, I see firsthand how the health care system in Alameda and Contra Costa counties is struggling to keep up with the growing needs of patients, especially in women’s health,” said Dr. Albert Brooks, MD, President of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association. “Proposition 35 is essential for alleviating this strain by delivering the critical resources needed to train and expand our health care workforce, ensuring that every patient receives the timely, specialized care they deserve.” 

The measure secures ongoing revenue by extending an existing levy on health insurance companies—without raising taxes—and dedicates these funds to protect and expand access to care at community health clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, and with primary care, family planning, mental health providers, OB/GYNs, and specialty care providers like cancer and cardiology.

“Asian Health Services offers services in 14 languages and cares for more than 50,000 patients, providing primary, dental  and mental health care for children, families, and seniors throughout Alameda County,” said Julia Liou, MPH, Chief Executive Officer of Asian Health Services. “Too often, we have patients that come to our health centers and struggle to gain access to culturally competent specialists and specialty care in languages that our patients speak is crucial to ensure better outcomes. Prop 35 will provide funding that offers training and education to ensure we can have more specialists taking patients that need access to specialty care.”

“La Clínica was founded more than 50 years ago to address health barriers and create better lives for the underserved,” said Jane Garcia, CEO of La Clínica. “Today, La Clínica is renowned for providing culturally appropriate, accessible full-scope health care services in the East Bay, no matter a patient’s income level or insurance status, and we are proud of the care we provide. Prop 35 will help ensure we can continue to offer the care our patients depend on by providing dedicated resources to protect and expand health care access.” 

More than 15 million vulnerable Californians rely on Medi-Cal for health insurance coverage, including more than 50% of all children in the state, as well as low-income families, seniors, and persons with disabilities. However, the lack of adequate and ongoing funding means Medi-Cal patients must often wait months to see primary care doctors, cardiologists, pediatric specialists, or orthopedists. Prop 35 will expand access to care for low-income families, the elderly, and children on Medi-Cal who currently have difficulty getting the care they need.

“Baywell Health has been providing community-based care since 1967, often serving those in our community marginalized by other health care providers,” said Baywell Health President and CEO Robert Phillips. “Today, as we and health care providers like us are under remarkable strain, our ability to continue to provide care to anyone who walks through our doors is threatened. Voting YES on Prop 35 is critical for making sure everyone in California has access to the respectful, reliable health care we all want and deserve.”

In addition to providing funding to protect and expand access to health care, Prop 35 also prevents the state from redirecting these funds for non-health care  purposes. The measure contains strong accountability requirements, including mandating that 99% of revenues must go to patient care and requiring annual independent performance audits to ensure funds are spent effectively and as intended.For more information, visit https://voteyes35.com/.

About the Yes on Prop 35 Coalition

The Yes on Prop 35 Coalition is a group of physicians, hospitals, health care workers, community health centers, Planned Parenthood, dentists, and emergency responders dedicated to increasing access to health care.