Donaldo Hernandez, M.D., the president of the California Medical Association (CMA), issued the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom signing a bill to renew the state’s Managed Care Organization (MCO) Tax and invest in the Medi-Cal system:

“The investments outlined in the health budget trailer bill signed by the Governor represent the first meaningful investment California has made in Medi-Cal, one of our state’s most important programs, in more than two decades.

On behalf of its almost 50,000 members, the California Medical Association thanks the Governor and state lawmakers for passage of this bill, which will help us achieve justice and equity for the more than 15 million Californians who rely on Medi-Cal for their health care.

New investments in primary and specialty care will mean that that millions of Medi-Cal patients will get the life-saving health care they need when they need it.

The passage of this bill and the agreement to invest new revenue in the health care system will equip California to meet our future demands by training hundreds of additional physicians each year and ensuring emergency departments are able to stay open in times of crisis.

Thanks to these MCO Tax dollars, our state will be able to make significant strides towards fulfilling Medi-Cal’s promise of providing access to quality and timely care for our most vulnerable patients.”