Hundreds of Organizations – Including More than 100 Community Health Clinics – Urge Californians to Vote YES on Prop 35

For Immediate Release
September 12, 2024

CONTACT: Press@VoteYes35.com

Prop 35 will protect and expand access to care for 15 million Medi-Cal patients and all Californians

California — The Yes on Prop 35 campaign announced an endorsement milestone today, with more than 300 groups and organizations, including over 100 community health clinics, joining to support the measure.

The Yes on 35 coalition includes health care leaders and providers, social justice and equity advocates, first responders, children’s advocates, faith leaders, local governments, consumer advocates, business organizations, and both the CA Democratic and Republican Parties.

“Community clinics are on the frontlines of California’s health care crisis, providing essential care for millions of Californians – including one third of those on Medi-Cal,” said Francisco Silva, CEO of the California Primary Care Association, representing 1,300 community clinics across the state. “We see every day the very real consequences of an underfunded Medi-Cal system. Prop 35 will secure dedicated funding so that community clinics and health centers can continue offering preventative, mental and dental care to the patients they serve. We are proud to be part of such a broad and diverse group in support.”

“Too often, patients who come to our clinic must wait months for a referral to see a specialist,” said Dr. Edgar Chavez, CEO and Founder of Universal Health Center. “Prop 35 will not only fund training to bring more health care into the pipeline but will allow clinics like ours to hire more patient care coordinators to help connect people with the health care they need.”

Prop 35 will secure dedicated funding for Medical-Cal by extending an existing tax on health insurance companies — without raising taxes on individuals — and dedicating these funds to protect and expand access to care for all Californians. And it will prevent the state from redirecting these revenues for non-health care purposes.

“When patients have access to preventative care at community health centers, it reduces emergency room overcrowding for everyone,” said Dolores Alvarado, CEO of Community Health Partnership. “Prop 35 will protect and expand access so that people can get care when they need it, rather than being forced to use emergency departments for things that could have been treated at their primary care doctor. It’s no wonder hundreds of groups are in support of Prop 35.”

Prop 35 will: 

• Protect and improve health care for all patients
• Ensure dedicated funding to improve health care
• Improve health care access for the most vulnerable
• Fund health care worker training
• Impose strict accountability

“Proposition 35 represents a historic opportunity to bring stability to Medi-Cal, which serves half of all children in the state and will bring the certainty and predictability needed to improve access to care,” said Erin Kelly, Executive Director, Children’s Specialty Care Coalition. “Young people with complex health conditions face unparalleled challenges in trying to find pediatric specialists and Prop 35 will provide the funding and workforce training to finally give them the care they deserve.”

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.