California's physicians proudly endorse Gavin Newsom for Governor April 24, 2018 CMA, General Election, Political Advocacy 0 Today, the California Medical Association (CMA) formally endorsed Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2018 bid to become California’s next governor. “California’s physicians are proud to support Gavin Newsom for Governor,” said CMA President Theodore M. Mazer, M.D. “Gavin is a lifelong champion for health care in California, and we know he will continue to fight for pragmatic solutions to our most crucial health care challenges, including working to achieve universal access and tackling our state’s physician shortage.” As Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco, Newsom worked with health care providers to bring the nation’s first universal access health system to all residents, regardless of income or immigration status. He fought alongside CMA to restore hundreds of millions of dollars in harmful statewide cuts to Medi-Cal services and vowed to protect access to care for all Californians. Newsom was also the first statewide official to support Proposition 56 and its full state budget allocation to health care delivery. More recently, he has reaffirmed his support for a comprehensive legislative approach that creates a pathway to universal health access, renewed investment in prevention and wellness, and bold reforms that bend the cost curve without exacerbating the provider gap. Newsom has long advocated that any strong and successful universal access plan must address California’s critical physician shortages and expand medical residency programs so patients can access timely and affordable health care, as well as standardize and reduce administrative burdens so physicians can spend more time on patient care than paperwork. He will also continue working to protect Medicare and raise Medi-Cal reimbursement rates – currently among the nation’s lowest – to help increase access for the nearly 14 million Californians, including half of the state’s children, currently covered by the program. “After more than a decade of partnership working side-by-side with California’s physicians to expand health access and improve health outcomes for every Californian, it is a high and humbling honor to receive their endorsement for Governor,” said Newsom. “The promise of universal health is within our grasp, and we need everyone at the policy table working in common cause to achieve it, especially the physicians Californians depend on day in and day out to deliver high-quality patient care.” For more information on Gavin Newsom’s candidacy, please visit GavinNewsom.com. Comments are closed.
