Contact: Molly Weedn | molly@weednpa.com
Proponents have submitted signatures to qualify dangerous and shameful measure for November ballot
Sacramento, CA – More than 1,000 community health centers and clinics have been joined by The California Primary Care Association, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, the California Medical Association, the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecologists, the California Academy of Family Physicians, Black Women for Wellness and dozens of others in an effort to defeat a dangerous initiative that would hurt patients and close community health centers.
Sponsors of the initiative have turned in signatures to qualify the measure for the 2026 General Election ballot, but opposition coalition members stand strong in their convictions to defeat the politically motivated power play that puts patient lives at risk:
“This is the worst time in history to attack community clinics and the millions of patients we serve,” said Francisco Silva, President & CEO of the California Primary Care Association, serving more than 2100 community health centers and clinics across the state. “This measure will eliminate people’s ability to get the care they need and will result in more than $1.7 billion being taken directly out of community health centers. Clinics will be forced to reduce services, doors will be closed, and millions of patients will suffer. This attack on the most vulnerable patients in California is an unwarranted power play that will cost lives. We remain steadfast in our commitment to defeating this dangerous, cynical measure.”
“California’s healthcare delivery system is already buckling under the weight of devastating federal cuts,” said Jodi Hicks, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California. “Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California opposes any effort that further diverts critical funding away from community health centers, especially as vulnerable communities continue to face so many threats to care. This measure will harm millions of patients in California. Full stop.”
“Community health centers provide the essential care that so many low-income individuals rely on for routine primary care visits, essential prenatal appointments, mental health services and more,” said Eric Reyes, Executive Director, Los Amigos de la Comunidad “Our mission is to increase the capacity of the underserved communities in the Imperial Valley facing socio-economic injustices, health care access disparities and institutional discrimination. This proposed ballot measure would increase health inequities and restrict access to essential care, which is why we have prioritized opposing it.”
“Community health centers provide whole-person care that is essential in keeping entire communities healthy. This measure would put so much of that at risk, including the accessible and equitable services that are the core of community health centers,” said Dr. Kim Yu, MD, FAAFP, DABFM, President, California Academy of Family Physicians. “Our patients deserve better, which is why CAFP has joined other healthcare leaders in opposition to this dangerous initiative.”
“In many rural and underserved regions where I care for patients, community health centers and clinics are often the only source of care,” said Rene Bravo, M.D., pediatrician and President of the California Medical Association. “This measure will force clinics to cut services or even close. Patients will lose access to care, and the health of entire communities will be put at risk. The California Medical Association is proud to stand up for patients and community health centers in opposition to this reckless ballot measure.”
“Community health centers are the cornerstone of our healthcare delivery system, offering preventative, urgent care, mental health, telehealth, dental care and more,” said Catherine Martin, CEO, Association of California Healthcare Districts. “Without the services provided by community health centers and clinics, entire communities will be left without access to care if this measure passes. On behalf of the dozens of healthcare districts across the state, who operate community health centers, we strongly oppose this ballot measure and urge our partners to do the same.”
The poorly drafted measure contains arbitrary exclusions that threaten vital services that are essential to serving patients, like nurse and physician managers, translation services, healthcare coverage enrollment navigators, patient transportation, and community outreach and education. The measure even excludes funding to expand and build new clinics—preventing community health centers from expanding access to care in communities most in need. These arbitrary exemptions make no sense and will result in cuts to critical patient services.
A report from the Berkeley Research Group shows that the measure would divert $1.7 billion away from patient care into new state bureaucracy in the first year alone, forcing community health centers and clinics to drastically reduce patient services and even close. The initiative would also cost the state more than $1 billion in additional health care spending and would limit expansions and upgrades of health centers and clinics across the state.
A full coalition list and additional information about the dangers this initiative would impose can be found at: https://protectpatientsca.com/