PEACH Statement on Governor Newsom’s 2022 May Budget Revision

Anne McLeod, President and CEO of Private Essential Access Community Hospitals (PEACH), today issued the following statement following Governor Gavin Newsom’s presentation of his May Budget Revision:

“Every Californian deserves access to quality and equitable health care. With one-third of all Medi-Cal beneficiaries receiving care in one of California’s private safety-net hospitals, we provide accessible health care for the state’s most vulnerable patients that cannot always get the same support that other Californians receive.

But health equity cannot truly be achieved until there is equity in the distribution of resources to communities that need the most support and investment, and the Governor’s May Budget Revision misses an opportunity to do just that. We are disappointed to see that support for California’s most vulnerable patients served by our safety-net hospitals has not yet been included in this year’s budget process.

We will continue to work with legislators on the fundamental need for sufficient Medi-Cal funding and equitable resource allocation to our state’s safety-net hospitals and urge them to prioritize lifesaving, quality and equitable care for tens of thousands of Californians in this year’s budget. ”

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