California Family Health Council, Inc.

Advocacy Education

In the morning, participants were joined by Assemblywoman Karen Bass, from Los Angeles’ 47th District, who spoke of the importance of young women becoming leaders in reproductive health. She encouraged attendees to be confident during their legislative visits, and to consider which of the roles they might fill as the future leaders in California.

Concurrent workshops followed on intimate partner violence, consensual sex, and the new parental notification initiative. During roundtable discussions, participants shared thoughts on crisis pregnancy centers, environmental toxins and reproductive health, community organizing, and abortion.

Later in the day, seasoned advocates Gabriela Valle of California Latinas for Reproductive Justice and Ann Marie Benitez of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California taught the basics of conducting legislative visits. Attendees learned everything from how to present themselves in the visits to the ins and outs of the state budget-making process. Participants were also informed about the many ways in which the proposed state budget cuts would disproportionately affect California women.

California State Assembly Majority Leader Karen Bass & Pharmacy Access Partnership Executive Director Belle Taylor-McGhee (Sitting)

Legislative Visits

In the afternoon more than 150 advocates visited 40 legislative offices. Attendees encouraged legislators to preserve Medi-Cal funding for the following reasons:

• Medi-Cal covers essential women’s health services, including pregnancy related care. In California, more than 40 percent of all pregnancies are covered by Medi-Cal.
• Medi-Cal reimbursement rates impact access to health service providers. Many California communities already face a shortage of health care providers who serve Medi-Cal clients. If reimbursement rates are cut by 10 percent, even fewer providers may be willing or able to participate in the Medi-Cal program.
• Medi-Cal brings in more than $1.2 billion in federal matching funds. For each dollar that California contributes to Medi-Cal, one additional dollar is received in federal funds. By reducing the State contribution to Medi-Cal, California will turn away over $1.2 billion in federal matching funds.
• Medi-Cal is a cost-effective way to provide preventive services. Reductions in preventive services will ultimately lead to increased chronic illness, pregnancy complications, and emergency room visits that cost the State more money and result in unnecessary suffering.

After the legislative visits, participants expressed that they had learned useful advocacy skills as a result of the experience. The opportunity to make their voices heard in the legislature and represent the concerns of women in California was empowering.

For more information about CFHC’s involvement in the California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom, contact Yvette Jorgensen at jorgenseny@cfhc.org or (800) 440-3238, ext. 4519.

[ Return to Spring 2008 ]