Ad highlights how measure will cut prescription costs for patients and require public healthcare dollars be spent on direct patient care
Ad features new endorsement from California Professional Firefighters
CPF: Prop 34 “will stop the worst abusers of this important public program and ensure that money meant for patients is spent on taking care of those who need help…”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2024
Contact: Nathan Click, nathan@click-comms.com
CALIFORNIA– Today, Yes on Prop 34 released a new ad titled, “Squeeze,” highlighting how the measure will cut costs of prescription drugs for Medi-Cal patients and will require bad actors abusing the healthcare system to spend their taxpayer funding on direct patient care.
“Rising healthcare costs are squeezing millions of Californians,” the ad explains. “Prop 34 will drastically cut the cost of prescription drugs for Medi-Cal patients, permanently authorizing California to negotiate lower prescription drug costs.”
The ad also features a new endorsement from the California Professional Firefighters. “When bad actors squeeze the public treasury for personal profit, public services take the hit — hurting public safety and emergency responders,” said California Professional Firefighters President, Brian K. Rice. “It’s even worse when these profiteers funnel public dollars to finance slums that are unsafe and violate health codes. Prop. 34 will stop the worst abusers of this important public program and ensure that money meant for patients is spent on taking care of those who need help, not risking public safety.”
STOP HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATIONS’ FINANCIAL ABUSE IN CALIFORNIA
Prop 34 stops egregious financial abuse of the 340B taxpayer-funded drug discount program in California.
Over 30 years ago, the federal government began offering discounted prescription drugs and other treatments to uninsured and low-income patients. However, a few bad actor healthcare organizations have used a legal loophole to game the system and divert money from the drug discount program to pet projects that have done nothing to benefit patients: wasting money on renting out football stadiums to put on private concerts, giving their executives multimillion dollar salaries, paying for naming rights on sports stadiums, spending millions on lobbying and dumping millions more into political campaigns.
Worse yet, these same entities that get billions in taxpayer dollars have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on housing projects that are often run like slums. An LA Times investigation found that residents at several of these housing projects were forced to live in squalid conditions, exposed to roach and bed bug infestations, putting the health and safety of tenants at risk.
Prop 34 will prevent this abuse from occurring in California and requires discount drug program dollars generated in California to be used for their intended purpose: helping patients.
“It’s common sense: public tax dollars meant for patients should be spent on patients,” said Assemblyman Evan Low. “Next November, Californians can vote YES on Prop 34 to close this loophole and prevent this scam.”
PROP 34 HOLDS BAD ACTORS ACCOUNTABLE
Prop 34 also holds violators accountable. Healthcare organizations that break the rules and misuse these taxpayer dollars must either recommit to spending on direct patient care or risk losing their California tax-exempt status and professional licenses.
Prop 34 is targeted at those bad actors who have continually abused the system to pocket billions of taxpayer dollars for their own use. That’s why it is supported by a wide coalition, including organizations that advocate to help patients, and leaders in the LGBTQ community. Those supporting Prop. 34 include the California Chronic Care Coalition, the ALS Association, the Defeating Epilepsy Foundation, California Senior Alliance and the Community Access National Network.
It’s time to close the corporate loophole that allows wealthy pharmacy corporations to divert money meant to help patients. Protect Patients Now. Vote Yes on Prop 34.