Donaldo Hernandez, M.D., the president of the California Medical Association (CMA), issued the following statement in response to the Legislature’s passage of the 2023-24 state budget that includes a reinstatement of the Managed Care Organization (MCO) Tax and significant investments in the Medi-Cal system and our health care infrastructure:  

“The state budget approved by the legislature today represents a historic investment in California’s health care system that will help us achieve justice and equity for the more than 14 million Californians who rely on Medi-Cal for their health care. Physicians across California applaud the legislature for their bipartisan support for legislation to reinstate the MCO Tax and use the funding to help fulfil Medi-Cal’s promise of access to care. 

The state budget makes important investments in primary and specialty care, ensures our hospitals’ emergency departments remain open in times of crisis and will help train hundreds of additional physicians each year so that California is better prepared to meet our growing health care needs.  

We thank the Governor and the legislature for their commitment to putting patients first in this state budget, so we are better able to fulfill California’s commitment to health care access and equity.”