Measure ER is one of the hot topics in LA County, as healthcare access took a steep hit for the everyday Angeleno as premiums skyrocketed due to the Trump administration’s passage of the ‘big beautiful bill,’ also known as H.R. 1, last year.
Last Wednesday, the Yes on ER Coalition held a press conference at St. John’s Community Health Center. Serving patients throughout South Los Angeles, St. John’s is one of the largest federally designated health center networks in LA County. The press conference commemorates the enactment of Measure ER and describes how the measure’s money will alleviate the continued effects on LA citizens of federal healthcare cuts.
Over the course of five years, Measure ER will produce $1 billion a year to support public health services, community clinics, and emergency rooms throughout LA County. As LA County continues to deal with the fallout from H.R. 1, which led to the worst reductions in federal healthcare funding in American history, the bill was passed.
“I want to express my profound gratitude to the Yes on Measure ER coalition—the healthcare workers, advocates, labor partners, and residents across Los Angeles County who worked tirelessly to make clear what was at stake. It is not lost on me that we are facing extraordinary challenges as a result of the largest cuts to healthcare funding in U.S. history,” said Mitchell.
She continued, “Measure ER is not a magic wand; it is a desperately needed lifeline to help our healthcare system weather the H.R. 1 storm that has already pushed more than 300,000 Los Angeles County residents off Medi-Cal. As support for Measure ER continues to surpass 50 percent, our commitment to accountability and transparency on behalf of voters and residents is only strengthened,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.
“Los Angeles County’s most vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of the Trump administration’s healthcare cuts, and they stand to benefit most from Measure ER,” said Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis.
She continued, “The gutting of federal healthcare support has created a crisis that puts millions of Medi-Cal patients at risk and strains our entire health system. In the First District, voters understood exactly what was at stake for their families, their neighbors, and their communities, and they turned out in support.”
She further added, “Measure ER is a lifesaving commitment that will help preserve essential healthcare services across Los Angeles County. I am proud to have helped spearhead this effort and grateful to the voters, community leaders, and healthcare advocates who came together to secure this critical investment in our public health system.”
Jim Mangia, the president and CEO of St. John’s Community Health, said, “Today, Angelenos sent a clear message: we take care of each other.” For months, we watched Washington make decisions that stripped healthcare away from hundreds of thousands of our neighbors—and today, Los Angeles County answered.”
He continued, “Thank you to the voters, healthcare workers, patients, and advocates who supported Measure ER and stood up for healthcare across Los Angeles County.”
“Working families in LA County rely on Medi-Cal, community clinics, and emergency care. When H.R. 1 stripped billions from federal healthcare funding, it was working people who felt it first and felt it hardest,” said David Green, president of SEIU 721. “Measure ER is LA County voters making clear that they will not accept a healthcare system that abandons the people who keep this county running.”
Currently, 40,000 children are among the 200,000 LA County residents who have been removed from full-scope Medi-Cal coverage. Seven public health clinics in Los Angeles have already shut down as a result of funding reductions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Health and Human Services. Measure ER’s revenue will keep more clinics from closing and more Angelenos from losing coverage.
The Yes on ER coalition supports Measure ER and is committed to minimizing the impact of rising healthcare costs for all residents. The coalition is joined by St. John’s Community Health, SEIU Local 721, SEIU Local 2015, the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County, Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project LA County, Hospital Association of Southern California, Los Angeles County Medical Association, Health Justice Action Fund, InnerCity Struggle, and numerous community leaders.
The YES on ER coalition commits itself to reducing the impact of higher healthcare expenses for all citizens and supports Measure ER. Other community organizations and leaders that have joined the coalition include the Los Angeles County Medical Association, InnerCity Struggle, the Health Justice Action Fund, St. John’s Community Health, SEIU Local 721, SEIU Local 2015, the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County, Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project LA County, the Hospital Association of Southern California, and more.
