Statement on the Signing of AB 890
CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates President and CEO Carmela Castellano-Garcia released the following statement today on Governor Newsom’s signing of Assembly Bill 890:
“I applaud Governor Newsom for signing AB 890 into law, increasing access to care for millions of Californians. The passage of this legislation helps address the widening provider gap and modernizes the approach to care in our state. Passing this legislation is critical to achieving California’s goal of increased access to health care for our largest and fastest growing regions and underserved populations. Thank you Assemblymember Jim Wood for your leadership, without his guidance, passage of this bill would not have been possible.”
Statement on the Veto of AB 2164
CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates President and CEO Carmela Castellano-Garcia released the following statement on Governor Newsom’s veto of Assembly Bill 2164:
“Governor Newsom’s decision to veto AB 2164 will limit access to care for millions of Californians that get their health care from community health centers. This bill would have ensured that community health centers could continue to establish patients using telehealth at community sites and virtual dental home for six months after the state of emergency ends. Leadership is still needed to maintain critical telehealth flexibilities, including payment for telephonic visits and we look forward to immediately engaging the administration and the legislature to ensure that health centers can keep their communities healthy during these challenging times.”
To select AB 2164 Joint Veto Statement Select Here
Governor Newsom's 2020-21 May Revise Budget
Governor Newsom’s 2020-21 May Revision demonstrates the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on our state finances, and the fact every industry, every state agency, and every element of our daily lives has been upended. While recent coverage expansions are maintained, the budget, takes deep cuts to the health care delivery system. The May Revision includes cuts to Medi-Cal benefits as well as cuts to health care workforce investments. The May Revision also includes the Administrations steadfast commitment to an aggressive implementation timeline for the Medi-Cal pharmacy transition, and establishment of Medi-Cal Rx without a supplemental fund for non-hospital clinics. Taken as a whole, this budget will only continue to destabilize California’s network of health centers.
In response to the Governor’s announcement, CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates President & CEO Carmela Castellano-Garcia released this statement .
Staff is working on a more detailed summary and analysis of the May Revision, which will be sent out next week after further details are released by the state. In the meantime, click here for a brief overview of the central elements of importance to community health centers.
Additionally, please stay on the lookout for additional materials – including talking points and template letter – to educate the legislature and administration on why this budget does not work for community health center or the communities they serve.
CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates 2020 Sponsored Bills
Senate Bill 66 (Atkins) Same Day Visits
Assembly Bill 2644 (Wood) – Streamlining Expansion of Primary Care Facilities
Assembly Bill 2007 (Salas) – Telehealth
For more information on the State Budget or sponsored bills please contact Beth Malinowski, Director of Government Affairs, at Beth@healthplusadvocates.org.