Key Objectives of the Care4All California Package

The Care4All California campaign, established in 2017, builds upon the Affordable Care Act’s foundation to broaden coverage and enhance health care quality. The 2025 legislative package focuses on:

• Removing barriers to care
• Preventing coverage gaps due to access or affordability
• Holding health plans accountable for care denials
• Ensuring accurate provider directories
• Addressing medical debt
• Easing connections to maternal care and community health workers

Budget requests associated with the package aim to minimize Medi-Cal coverage loss for young children and re-enrollees, while maintaining the affordability of Covered California plans.

Advocates emphasize State-Level Action

With uncertainty surrounding federal health care policy, advocates stress the importance of California taking proactive steps to protect and improve its health care system.

It is clear that we cannot rely on our federal government to ensure that Californians get the care that they and their families need, which is why it is crucial for California to take these steps. Californians are screaming for cost relief and a better working health care system and these bills can meet those urgent needs now.

Amanda mcallister-Wallner, Executive Director of health Access California

Ms.McAllister-Wallner added that the Care4All California package requires no interventions by the federal government and should be adopted to safeguard our health care system in California.

legislative Highlights of the 2025 Care4All Package

The legislative package addresses various aspects of health care access, affordability, and equity:

Covering All californians Towards Universal Access

• SB 242 (Blakespear): Medigap Protections
• SB 363 (Wiener): Health Plan accountability: Denials, Delays and Modifications
• SB 530 (Richardson): Strengthening Access to Medi-Cal Providers
• AB 4 (Arambula): Removing Barriers to Covered California Based on Immigration Status, toward #Health4All
• AB 280 (Aguiar-Curry): Accurate Health Plan Provider Directories

Advancing Equity to Address Health Disparities

• AB 55 (Bonta): Freedom to Birth Act
• AB 403 (ortega): Community Health Workers and Promotores Medi-Cal Benefit & Services Clarity
• Budget Request: Medi-cal reimbursement rate for Community Health Workers/Promotoras/Health Representatives (CHW/P/Rs)

Protecting Patients from High Medical Costs

• AB 1312 (Schiavo): The Patient Debt Prevention Act
• Budget Request (Asm Schiavo and Sen Rubio): MediCal Share of Cost Reform

Bolstering Our Health Care System From Federal Attacks

• Budget (Boerner): Continuous Coverage for Children 0-5 on Medi-Cal
• Budget (Boerner): Protect Medi-Cal Coverage Gains Through Permanent Extension of Unwinding Flexibilities
• Budget (Asm Schiavo and Sen Perez): Reinstate Covered California State Premium Subsidy Program

Legislative Progress and Support

Many bills within the package have garnered significant support in legislative committee hearings, including SB 363, SB 530, AB 4, AB 55, AB 280, and AB 403. The assembly Health Committee is scheduled to hear AB 1312, and the Senate Health Committee will consider SB 242.

Legislators Voice Support for Care4All Initiatives

Several legislators have expressed their support for the Care4All California package and its goals.

Being able to access affordable health care is crucial for seniors who are often forced to live on fixed incomes or limited means. it’s not fair that some seniors are shut out of Medigap for pre-existing medical conditions,forcing them to choose between food and needed health care. SB 242 eliminates this injustice.

Senator Blakespear, author of SB 242

Californians are losing their Medi-Cal coverage due to bureaucratic errors—errors that can mean the difference between receiving critical care and going without it. With 92% of procedural disenrollments occurring in our state, far above the national average, we are failing the families who depend on this essential healthcare. Alarmingly, a third of those disenrolled are children and youth.We must do better. I will continue to fight to ensure California remains committed to serving our most vulnerable citizens.

Assemblymember Tasha Boerner

I’m honored that the Care4All Coalition California has selected my bill, AB 55, the Freedom to Birth Act, as one of its priority bills for the year. These consumer, community, labor, progressive, and healthcare organizations have seen firsthand the positive health outcomes birth centers can provide our communities and the struggle providers have had keeping these facilities open. Alternative birthing centers have been proven to improve breastfeeding rates, decrease cesareans, and are a needed tool in addressing the Black maternal health crisis. I am proud to share the coalition’s priorities of improving access, cost, equity, and quality in our state’s health system. I appreciate their partnership in making California the healthiest place on Earth.

Assemblymember Mia Bonta, author of AB 55

AB 4 seeks to continue prosperous efforts in recent years to expand health care access to all income-eligible individuals in California, regardless of immigration status. This legislation specifically would remove a barrier that prevents undocumented individuals from purchasing coverage through the Covered California marketplace. It is only fair that hard-working and taxpaying Californians are able to buy health plans to protect themselves and the families who depend on them. AB 4 would ensure that we continue to build a more universal and equitable health care system for everyone who calls California home.

Assemblymember Arambula, author of AB 4