CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates is dedicated to advancing the mission of community health centers through state and federal advocacy. We advocate on behalf of more than 1,300 community health centers who provide care to 1 in 6 Californians. We have a robust legislative agenda that includes issue areas such as improving access to care, promoting and protecting California's workforce, and more.
2018 State Budget
In January, the Administration's 2018-19 Proposed Budget (Proposed Budget) showed a continued commitment to balancing fiscal responsibility while remaining committed to protecting core priority areas: education, infrastructure, and health care. However, similar to 2017, the Administration proposed significant changes to the 340B Drug Discount Program (340B) and these proposed changes were still reflected in the Governor's Revised Budget released on May 10, 2018. This year, the Administration seeks to overtly eliminate 340B from Medi-Cal fee-for-service (FFS) and managed care. The results of such a policy would be extremely detrimental to health centers that rely on 340B savings to enhance patient services, pay for capital projects, and support and improve operations.
May Revise Analysis May Revise Behavioral Health Analysis May Revise Talking Points
For more information on the State Budget or 340B, please contact Beth Malinowski at beth@healthplusadvocates.org.
CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates 2018 Sponsored Legislation
Assembly Bill 2428 (Gonzalez Fletcher) Consolidated Licensing
In 2017, upon identifying implementation challenges with AB 2053 (Gonzalez-Fletcher, 2016), it has been a commitment of Advocates to identify the appropriate legislative path needed to see the full intendent benefits of the consolidated license.
Assembly Bill 2576 (Aguiar-Curry) Declared Emergencies
In partnership with Redwood Community Health Coalition (RCHC), Advocates is co-sponsoring comprehensive legislation that builds on the lessons learned from the 2017 fire season. In particular, this bill aims so address payment for telephonic visits, payment for care provided at alternative locations, and permitting issues.
Senate Bill 1125 (Atkins) Same Day Billing
In partnership with the Steinberg Institute, Advocates has moved forward with reintroducing Same Day Billing legislation. With a raging opioid epidemic, a greater appreciation for the intersection of primary care and mental health services, and the need to increase access to behavioral health preventive and diagnostic services, Advocates is excited to be working with the Steinburg Institute on this important effort.
Senate Bill 456 (Pan) Care Coordination
SB 456 will improve the health of California’s most vulnerable people by allowing Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) to be reimbursed for services that promote care coordination and wellness in ways not covered by the Prospective Payment System.