Demystifying Federal Health Reform Convening Sheds Light on New Law

The San Francisco Foundation FAITHS, Koshland, and Community Health programs’ Demystifying Federal Health Reform convening on Wednesday, June 30, 2010, brought together more than 100 diverse community members to learn about and discuss the recently passed healthcare law. Key leaders from three Bay Area health advocacy groups briefed faith-based organizations, neighborhood residents, and grassroots leaders, as well as community health practitioners and administrators, on the benefits of the new law while urging them to press lawmakers to act with underserved communities in mind during these difficult economic times.  

The panel included Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access, Marty Martinez, policy director for the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN), and Ralph Silber, executive director of the Alameda Health Consortium.

The event at Preservation Park in Oakland opened with an insightful overview of what the national healthcare reform law will mean for California and local communities. Anthony Wright opened his presentation by telling attendees that “California has a disproportionately high number of uninsured” people compared to the rest of the country, but that puts the State in a better position to receive the benefits of the new law. He praised the law’s passage, despite what he called attempts by those against it to distort its effect and complicate the issue. He also urged attendees to continue to fight to fill the gaps in the legislation, such as lobbying for a public option.  

Marty Martinez called the new law the “biggest advance in civil rights since the civil rights movement.” He is confident more work will be done in order to ensure that immigrant families, particularly undocumented immigrants, are able to receive the coverage they desperately need. While California faces a $20 billion budget deficit, he is thankful that the State has its hands tied in the amount of funding it can cut for Medi-Cal because of the provisions of this new healthcare law.  

Ralph Silber believes that the fight for equitable healthcare is far from over, despite the law’s passage. “A huge number of people are left out of this,” he said, mainly referring to immigrants. He stressed the need for nonprofits and community organizations to rally around those who are left out of the new law and fight on their behalf.  

While there is still work to be done, the consensus was that the country is making great strides in healthcare reform. As Anthony Wright enthusiastically told the audience, the new healthcare law amounts to the largest expansion of medical coverage in 45 years and is the greatest income redistribution program since the Great Society. Millions more Californians will be covered under Medi-Cal by 2014 because of this landmark legislation.

The San Francisco Foundation was proud to host this community convening and help shed light on this 2,000- page, history-making new law.