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California Proposition 35 would require the state to use money from a tax on health insurance plans towards payments to doctors who serve Medi-Cal patients.
Over the last few years, the state has expanded Medi-Cal to cover more Californians than ever, now around 14 million people.
But the amount that doctors get paid to treat Medi-Cal patients has not kept up with inflation.
And, as a result, many providers won’t treat them, according to the California Health Care Foundation.
Supporters say Prop 35 will encourage doctors to serve more low-income patients because they’d be getting paid more for their services.
Opponents worry putting restrictions on how the state spends this money could mean cuts to other Medi-Cal programs.
This explainer was reported by Kristen Hwang with our newsroom partner CalMatters. Check out out the full CalMatters 2024 Voter Guide here.