PROP 35: Change how lawmakers spend health care tax revenue

Prop 35 would help raise more money for Medi-Cal, a health insurance plan for low-income Californians. Without healthcare as a guaranteed right in our country, over 15 million Californians depend on Medi-Cal for health care. Children, people with disabilities, and elders particularly lean on Medi-Cal. But without adequate funding, Medi-Cal may not be able to continue to be a lifeline for millions in our state. 

The money that Prop 35 would generate would be raised through a permanent tax on certain health insurance providers without imposing any taxes on individuals. The measure would ensure that the money is used for its intended purpose – to fund Medi-Cal – by preventing lawmakers from rerouting the funds towards something else and requiring that 99% of the funding to go directly to patient care. 

The funding raised would be used to hire more first responders and paramedics to reduce emergency response times, address workforce shortages, expand access to preventative health care, reduce wait times in emergency rooms, and for specific care such as family planning, cancer treatment, and mental health treatment.

As we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that we need to take healthcare seriously. A YES vote on Prop 35 means that Medi-Cal can continue to be a lifeline for low-income Californians and improve health care for millions of patients.