Opinion: Proposition 35 helps protect and expand health care access for Californians

As a practicing family physician and CEO of Neighborhood Healthcare, a community health clinic here in San Diego County, I see firsthand how California’s health care crisis impacts real patients, especially those who are enrolled in Medi-Cal. That’s why I’m supporting Proposition 35.

Proposition 35 protects and expands care for Medi-Cal patients in California by providing dedicated funding — that cannot be redirected by the state — without raising taxes.

In California, 15 million people, including half of all kids, as well as low-income families, seniors and persons with disabilities, rely on Medi-Cal for health insurance. That includes 32 percent of San Diego County residents.

Unfortunately, health care coverage has not translated into actual access to health care, and the result is that our neighbors and family members on Medi-Cal must wait months to see a doctor or specialist, overcrowded emergency rooms have become the norm, and hospitals and health clinics are consolidating or closing services altogether.

At Neighborhood Healthcare, 88 percent of our patients rely on programs like Medi-Cal or are uninsured. And in our clinics, we never turn a patient away. This has been rooted in our mission for decades, but is especially true in recent years, as Health4All has provided health care coverage for more Californians.

When patients come to us, we provide the preventative or primary care that they need, but it’s often difficult to get them timely appointments with specialists, with wait times for initial visits taking months.

And in the community where I work, fewer radiology centers are taking Medi-Cal, which means patients who need mammograms, X-rays and other important imaging services have to drive long distances and take time off of work to see a provider.

Thankfully, Proposition 35 will provide relief for these issues.

Proposition 35 will address our most urgent health care priorities by securing dedicated, ongoing funding — without raising taxes on individuals — to protect and expand access to care for primary care and specialty care physicians, community health clinics, dentists, hospitals, emergency rooms, family planning and mental health providers.

Not only will Proposition 35 ensure better access to health care, the measure will also prevent the state from redirecting these funds for non-health care purposes. For too long, health care dollars have been diverted away from programs that provide patient care, which has added to the long wait times and reduced access to care that patients are grappling with across the state.

Proposition 35 protects 15 million Medi-Cal patients, but also improves the health care system for all of us. When clinics, doctors, hospitals, Emergency rooms and specialists have more trained health care workers and can count on resources to expand and improve care, it reduces wait times, expands access and improves care for all patients.

I’m proud to support Proposition 35 and be part of the broad coalition behind the measure. Hundreds of groups including clinics like mine, Planned Parenthood, doctors, health care workers, emergency responders, social justice groups, business leaders — all support Proposition 35.

Working in a clinic has always been important to me; it gives me the opportunity to ensure those who are the most vulnerable get the care they  need and deserve. At Neighborhood Healthcare, we serve nearly 90,000 people for medical, dental and behavioral health visits each year; many are on Medi-Cal.

The hard reality is that clinics like ours are stretched to the brink, and in order to see more patients and help connect them to the specialty care they need, Proposition 35 is essential.

Until we commit to safeguarding health care dollars for health care services, patients will continue waiting months for care, resort to costly and time consuming emergency room visits that results in overcrowded emergency rooms for everyone and further divide who gets care and who doesn’t.

After spending more than two decades serving Medi-Cal patients here in San Diego, I know that Proposition 35 will provide real solutions that result in tangible outcomes like better access to care, more education and training for providers, and increased accountability. Vote “yes” on Prop 35.

Patel, M.D., is chief executive officer at Neighborhood Healthcare. He lives in Carmel Valley.