California ACEP:
Proposition 35 –
Good for Patients,
Good for You

The following is obtained for the California ACEP website.

Over the past several years, there have been massive expansions in eligibility and benefits for Medi-Cal, but actual access to care for these patients has remained abysmal. The California Health Care Foundation reports that adults enrolled in Medi-Cal were more than twice as likely to report difficulty finding a provider that accepted their insurance when compared to employer-based insurance or Medicare. Proposition 35 will increase access to healthcare for the most vulnerable Californians by securing dedicated funding for physicians treating Medi-Cal patients and expanding access to health care.

Prop 35 Protects the Medi-Cal Rate Increase that CalACEP Fought for and Secured

Proposition 35 will increase Medi-Cal rates across specialties and protect the increases that have already gone into effect as part of Managed Care Organization Tax, including the first Medi-Cal rate increase for emergency physicians in over 20 years. While CalACEP was able to secure increased emergency physician reimbursement this year, many other specialties, hospitals, ambulance providers, and other key pieces of our health care infrastructure did not get funded this year as originally planned. Prop 35 ensures that those other providers are funded and ensures the state cannot redirect the emergency physician rate increase funds for non-health care purposes.

We Need your Help to Pass Prop 35

California’s health care system is in crisis. Your emergency departments are overcrowded, and the strain will only increase if hospitals and clinics continue to close. Patients wait months to see a doctor or specialist or come to the ED after delaying care to the point of crisis. Care for 15 million children, seniors, disabled, and low-income families on Medi-Cal is significantly underfunded. The state has repeatedly redirected more than $20 billion in health care funding to non-health care purposes. California ACEP supports Proposition 35 because it will protect the resources necessary for ensuring access to care for the most vulnerable Californians.

If you would like more detailed information about the initiative, visit the Prop 35 website at www.voteyes35.com.