Proposition 35
TVHC IS PROUD TO SUPPORT PROPOSITION 35
Proposition 35, a measure on the November 2024 ballot, will address California’s most urgent health care priorities by securing ongoing revenue and dedicating funds—without raising taxes on individuals.
These critically-needed funds will protect and expand access to care from primary care and specialty care physicians, community health clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, family planning and mental health providers.
wHAT IS pROP 35?
Proposition 35 (Prop 35), otherwise known as the Protect Access to Health Care Act of 2024, is a ballot initiative led by a coalition of doctors, health care workers, community health centers, Planned Parenthood, health plans and emergency responders that would permanently invest dedicated funding each year into the hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices that make up California’s healthcare safety net of Medi-Cal providers. Without raising taxes on individuals, the measure will bring more federal funds back to California and improve access to critical health care services. Specifically the initiative would:
- Provide funds to keep hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices open and expand access to healthcare-without raising taxes.
- Provide more funding for primary and specialty care, including mental health, expanded emergency room access, affordable prescription drugs, family planning, dental care; as well as funding to hire more healthcare workers.
- Ensure that healthcare dollars are actually spent on patient care, requiring 99% of the money raised to go to patient care while ensuring administrative expenses are limited to 1%.
- Expand our state’s education and training to create a pipeline of health care workers and providers, including nurses, physician assistants, dentists and medical assistants.
Source: CPCA
myths & facts
MYTH
Prop 35 will lead to increased taxes for Californians.
FACT
Prop 35 does not involve any new taxes or tax increases for Californians. Prop 35 extends an existing levy on health insurance companies that will otherwise expire in 2026. This levy has been in place for decades, with funds dedicated to protecting and expanding access to health care. And, Prop 35 prevents the state from redirecting these funds for non-health care purposes.
MYTH
Prop 35 lacks flexibility to focus resources where they’re needed most.
FACT
Prop 35 was written to support a broad range of health care services and to address our most urgent health care priorities. It provides funding to protect and expand patient access to care at community health clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, primary care, family planning, mental health providers, OB/GYNs and with specialty care providers like cancer and cardiology.
MYTH
Prop 35 will lead to job losses in the health care industry.
FACT
Prop 35 provides dedicated funds to health care workforce training and education to address the worker shortage. What’s more by providing increased funding for health care services, more professionals and workers will be needed. That’s why health care workers and worker unions support Prop 35.
MYTH
Prop 35 is unnecessary – California already has dedicated resource streams for Medi-Cal.
FACT
Over the last 15 years, California has redirected more than $30 billion of these funds for other purposes. This has exacerbated California’s health care crisis. Prop 35 secures dedicated, ongoing funding to protect and expand patient access to care – and ensures these funds cannot be redirected for other purposes. Without Prop 35, funding for health care services will continue to be subjected to the volatility of the state budget process, and we could lose vital funding, further reducing everyone’s access to quality, timely, and affordable health care.
MYTH
Prop 35 narrowly sends funds to only certain factions of our health care system.
FACT
Prop 35 dedicates funds to a broad range of health care services that benefit all Californians, and especially the 15 million patients on Medi-Cal. Prop 35 protects and expands patient access to care at community health clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, primary care, family planning, mental health, and specialty care providers. It will help ensure quality, timely, and affordable health care for all Californians, which is why the measure has broad bipartisan support from a growing coalition of social justice organizations, health care workers, first responders, health care workers, physicians, dentists, hospitals, Planned Parenthood, and community health centers.
MYTH
Prop 35 will make our state budget crisis worse and take funding away from other general fund priorities.
FACT
Prop 35 protects health care funding from the ongoing volatility of the state budget process and provides much needed stability for patient access to care, especially for Medi-Cal patients. The state has redirected more than $30 billion in these funds over the past 15 years, making our health care crisis worse. Importantly, Prop 35 does provide flexibility for state lawmakers and includes billions in funding that can be spent on state priorities.