Media Contact:
Robert Nuñez
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California
rnunez@lchc.org
(805)815-7730
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2025
Assemblymember Liz Ortega Introduces AB 403 to Shine a Light on Gaps in Access to Community Health Worker Medi-Cal Services
Sacramento, CA – Assemblymember Liz Ortega (D-20) has introduced AB 403, the Community Health Workers and Promotora Medi-Cal Services Transparency Act for the 2025 legislative session. This critical piece of legislation seeks to shine a light on gaps in utilization of the Community Health Worker, Promotora, and Representative (CHW/P/R) services covered benefit under California’s Medi-Cal program. AB 403 will require the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), beginning July 1, 2027, to provide an annual analysis to the Legislature and the public on the utilization of the Community Health Worker (CHW) Medi-Cal benefit. The bill is cosponsored by The Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, Vision y Compromiso, and The Children’s Partnership—founding organizations of the California CHW/P/R Policy Coalition.
Promotoras, community health workers, and representatives are essential in addressing health disparities and advancing health equity by bridging gaps in healthcare and social services. Deeply rooted in the communities they serve, these professionals share language, culture, and lived experiences with the populations they support. Their trusted relationships help break down barriers to care, ensuring the delivery of linguistically and culturally responsive health information and services that meet community needs. Now, more than ever, this work is critical. As the Trump administration continues to push policies that disempower communities of color, instill fear in immigrant families, and threaten funding for vital programs like Medi-Cal, ensuring access to trusted, community-based healthcare is not just necessary—it’s urgent.
“Community health workers and promotoras provide an invaluable service by helping bridge language barriers and cultural divides for community members who need a little help navigating the health care system. The problem is not many Medi-Cal patients are taking advantage of this program, and that may be because many don’t know that the benefit exists,” said Assemblymember Ortega. “AB 403 will help us study this problem so that we can ensure everyone who might benefit from working with a promotora can access this invaluable program.”
Over the last several years California has invested in growing the CHW/P/R workforce to reduce health inequities and increase quality of care. This includes making CHW/P/R services a covered Medi-Cal benefit beginning in July 2022. However, since the implementation of this benefit, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has provided limited data on its utilization.
The California Assembly Health special hearing in March 2024 titled, “Bright Spots and Remaining Barriers to Realizing the Potential of Community Health Workers, Promotoras, and Representatives to Improve Health in California,” DHCS disclosed that of the 15 million Medi-Cal beneficiaries, fewer than 6,000 had accessed community health worker/promotora services, and less than $1 million had been reimbursed to providers for these services. These figures raise concerns about awareness, accessibility, and implementation gaps in the program.
AB 403 provides accountability by ensuring DHCS is assessing outreach and education efforts by Medi-Cal managed care plans on the CHW/P/R service benefit to beneficiaries so they are knowledgeable of the CHW/P/R services available to them. The bill also increases the Legislature’s understanding of the CHW/P/R benefit’s status through an annual report on the utilization data, which will enhance legislative oversight and inform any future legislation needed to strengthen and fund this vital program.
“Community health workers and promotoras are on the frontlines of reducing health disparities, yet thousands of Medi-Cal beneficiaries—many of them Latine and immigrant families—remain unaware of or unable to access these critical services. With ongoing threats to funding for safety-net programs and anti-immigrant rhetoric resurfacing under the Trump agenda, it is more urgent than ever to protect and expand resources that advance health equity,” said Dr. Seciah Aquino, Executive Director of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. “At LCHC, we have fought to pass legislation that ensures our communities are counted through data collection— because what gets measured gets funded. AB 403 will not only shine a light on the opportunities we have to improve access to this life-saving benefit.”
“Community health workers and promotoras have a powerful role transforming Medi-Cal to deliver greater health equity by bridging access barriers for the many Californians who speak languages other than English or who haven’t had their culture recognized in other health care settings,” said Kiran Savage-Sangwan, Executive Director of CPEHN. “California won’t meet our goals to connect everyone to the care they need without understanding where outreach is working to boost access to care, and where gaps remain. AB 403 will reveal the bright spots and the gaps in connecting Californians to community health workers and where we need to do more, as we continue to push for fairly pay and support for this women-of-color led, essential health care workforce.”
“Promotoras, community health workers, and community health representatives are a proven, cost-effective, and community-centered solution for addressing health inequities, particularly in communities facing the highest rates of illness and the greatest barriers to care. Now more than ever, we must ensure that promotoras, CHWs, and CHRs are fully integrated into community health—not just as ‘outreach workers,’ but as essential partners in advancing family well-being. As trusted members of their communities, they provide critical information, resources, and culturally centered solutions that empower individuals to make healthier choices,” said Maria Lemus, Executive Director of Vision y Compromiso. “We have long championed the expertise and ‘service of heart’ of promotoras, who are dedicated to improving community health. We strongly support AB 403 to ensure the full recognition, utilization, and accountability of the CHW/PR workforce in Medi-Cal.”
“Our community health workers, promotoras and health representatives are essential to bridging gaps in our health care delivery system, especially in communities where access to the tools and resources needed to get and stay healthy is already difficult,” said Faith Colburn, Advocacy Director of Health Care at The Children’s Partnership. “By building trust through culturally and linguistically proficient care, CHW/P/Rs provide practical community engagement that really makes a difference in improving the health of children, particularly children of color, by connecting families to information, care and services. This kind of connection is even more important now, as our diverse communities are under attack from the federal administration. California has made significant strides in community health, and we should lead the way in doing even more for our children and families. The work of CHW/P/Rs should be more visible at all levels, from the state to the community member, and AB 403 will help ensure that.”
Advocates and stakeholders emphasize that increasing transparency on Medi-Cal managed care plans is a key step in ensuring that Medi-Cal enrollees benefit from the state’s investments in community-based healthcare. AB 403 represents a commitment to health equity and a stronger, more accessible healthcare system for all Californians.
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Assemblymember Liz Ortega is Chair of the Assembly Committee on Labor & Employment and sits on the Assembly Committees on Budget; Insurance; Privacy and Consumer Protection; Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism; and Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration. She represents the 20th Assembly District, encompassing all or a portion of the cities of Hayward, San Leandro, Union City, Dublin, Pleasanton and the unincorporated areas of Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview, San Lorenzo, and Castro Valley.
Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC)— is the leading statewide policy organization with a specific emphasis on Latine & Indigenous health. For over 30 years, we have worked on transforming systems to achieve health justice. We pride ourselves on translating community solutions into equitable policy and lasting change. Our work focuses on legislative and administrative advocacy, people power, and narrative change. Learn more at: www.LCHC.org
The California Pan Ethnic Health Network brings together and mobilizes communities of color to advocate for public policies that advance health equity and improve health outcomes in our communities. Learn more at cpehn.org.
The Children’s Partnership (TCP) is a California-based children’s policy and advocacy organization committed to advancing child health equity through public policy, research and community engagement. TCP envisions a California where all children—regardless of their race, ethnicity or place of birth—have the resources and opportunities they need to grow up healthy and thrive. Learn more at childrenspartnership.org.
