Central Coast Health Care Leaders Urge ‘Yes’ Vote on Proposition 35

Prop 35 Will Help Address the Central Coast’s Most Urgent Health Care Priorities

Sacramento, CA — As California’s Central Coast faces a deepening health care crisis, local physicians, business leaders, hospitals, community health centers, emergency responders, and over 400 hundred organizations are calling on voters to support Proposition 35. The initiative will address the region’s most urgent health care problems by expanding access to health care and funding the state’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal.

More than 825,000 people in the counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz depend on Medi-Cal for their health insurance. However, due to chronic underfunding in the Medi-Cal program, patients in these areas face significant delays, often waiting months to access primary and specialty care providers.

“As a physician leader and clinician focusing on Gastroenterology and Hepatology, I know firsthand how tough it can be for patients in our region to obtain the specialty care they need,”said Scott Underwood, D.O., President of the Ventura County Medical Association. “The delays in medical care can be devastating for patients and their families. Proposition 35 offers a critical solution by providing the necessary funding to recruit more specialists and ensure that all patients get the care they need when they need it. 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, dentists, hospitals, emergency rooms, and primary care. This would provide vital improvements in access to services such as mental health care, family planning, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Medical and surgical subspecialties like Cardiology, cancer care, and so much more.”

“At Clínica de Salud del Valle de Salinas our mission is to provide access to quality comprehensive health care to men, women and children with an emphasis on farm worker families and the agricultural community, which is exactly what we have been doing for more than four decades.” said CEO, Maximiliano Cuevas, Clínica de Salud del Valle de Salinas. “Prop. 35 is essential for us to continue offering our services and being able to expand our efforts to meet the growing needs of the region.”

Nearly 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.

“When people have reliable access to health care, the entire community benefits, which is why we strongly support Proposition 35,” said Jim Dantona, President and CEO of the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce. “The health care challenges on the Central Coast, from long wait times to strained resources, are impacting both families and businesses. Supporting Prop. 35 is an investment in both the well-being of our residents and the success of our local businesses.”  

“As a physician in Santa Cruz for over 22 years, I’ve seen how crucial timely access to care is for our patients,” said Donaldo Hernandez, M.D., an internal medicine physician and Immediate Past President of the California Medical Association. “With one-third of Californians, including many of my patients, relying on Medi-Cal for their health care, we can no longer allow the system to remain underfunded. Voting Yes on Prop. 35 will provide the necessary support to our community clinics, hospitals, and specialists to improve access, equity and outcomes.”  

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.