Is Proposition 35 the best way to fund the Medi-Cal program?

Click here for a complete list of election recommendations.

Proposition 35, on the Nov. 5 ballot, permanently extends the tax on managed care insurance plans that pays for Medi-Cal services. The measure would require that proceeds be used only for specific services, including primary and specialty care, emergency medicine, family planning, mental health and prescription drugs.

Yes: Asian Health Services CEO Julia Liou says this measure will ensure stable funding for Medi-Cal services and ensure that money is used to protect and expand access. It also includes strong accountability requirements and independent performance audits.

No: State Sen. Caroline Menjivar, D-Panorama City, and Kiran Savage Sangwan of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network say Proposition 35 harms the very communities it promises to support. Masu. This ballot measure would roll back recent progress in community investment by prioritizing funding for a select group of health care providers over the comprehensive care that communities need.

Editorial: Prop. 35 secures special interest funding, and winners will include doctors, hospitals, and ambulance providers who fund the plan. This is just another example of ballot box budgeting for special interests, which limits legislators' discretion and reduces their flexibility to respond to fiscal crises.