October 08, 2024
Proposition 35 will secure dedicated funding to keep hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices open; protect and expand access to care; invest in workforce training; and reduce wait times in emergency rooms and urgent care facilities.
Here's why California needs Prop 35, By the Numbers:
| 15 million |
Californians rely on Medi-Cal for health insurance coverage. |
| Nearly half |
of California children rely on Medi-Cal for health insurance coverage. |
| 50% |
of births in California are paid for by Medi-Cal. |
| 51% |
of Medi-Cal enrollees are Hispanic. |
| 37% |
of Medi-Cal enrollees are aged 20 and under. |
Why we need Prop 35: Prop 35 will secure dedicated funding – without raising taxes – to expand and protect access to health care for the millions of Californians who depend on Medi-Cal.
| 46 |
California hospitals have closed their maternity wards in the past decade. |
| 3 hours |
is the average time Californians spend in the ER per visit, a number that has been steadily increasing and is well above the national average. |
| 7.4% |
is the increase in emergency department visits between 2011 and 2021. |
Why we need Prop 35: Many hospitals and clinics are having trouble keeping their doors open. Others are reducing the services they provide. Emergency rooms are overcrowded and patients wait months for specialty care. Prop 35 secures dedicated resources to protect and expand patient access to care at community health clinics, hospitals, emergency rooms, primary care, family planning, mental health providers and specialty care providers like cancer, cardiology and OB/GYN. Prop 35 will also reduce emergency response times by funding paramedics and other first responders.
| 5.9 million |
Californians live in areas that lack enough primary care doctors to meet the population's health care needs. |
| 32% |
of California's physicians are more than 60 years old and likely to retire in the coming decade. |
| 4,100 |
additional primary care clinicians are needed in California by 2030 to meet demand. |
| 46th |
is where California ranks nationally in medical school positions per capita. |
| 37.9 vs 21.1 |
is the number of medical students per 100,000 population in the United States vs. the number of medical students per 100,000 population in California. |
Why we need Prop 35: California needs more trained physicians in order to serve the growing state. Prop 35 invests in workforce training to create a pipeline of health care workers and providers, including physicians, nurses, mental health providers, physician assistants, dentists and medical assistants.
| 6 counties |
do not have any doctors specializing in obstetrics-gynecology. |
| 7 counties |
do not have any doctors specializing in pediatrics. |
| 12 counties |
do not have any doctors specializing in cardiology. |
| 21 counties |
do not have any doctors specializing in endocrinology. |
| 17 counties |
do not have any doctors specializing in gastroenterology. |
| 15 counties |
do not have any doctors specializing in oncology and hematology. |
| 8 counties |
do not have any doctors specializing in general surgery. |
Why we need Prop 35: Millions of Californians live in parts of the state where access to health care is limited. Many counties are without specialists like pediatricians, women's health professionals and physicians who treat things like cancer, heart disease or diabetes. Patients, especially those who rely on Medi-Cal for insurance, must often wait months before they are able to see a specialist and even when they get an appointment, they have to travel long distances to see a doctor. Prop 35 will fund residency programs across the state to improve access to timely care for all Californians, no matter where they live.
For more information about Prop 35, visit cmadocs.org/prop35.
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