|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Liz Perez-Howe
Medi-Cal isn’t just insurance. It’s survival.
In the Tri-Valley, many of our neighbors are one job loss, one accident or one diagnosis away from a health crisis they can’t afford. At Axis Community Health, we see it every day, whether it is families choosing between medicine and rent, patients skipping care because they lack insurance and people simply not knowing where to go for help.
We exist to change that.
As the only all-ages Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in the Tri-Valley, Axis serves all backgrounds and income levels. We don’t ask if you can pay. We ask how we can help. Our doors are open to everyone — insured, uninsured, and especially those covered by Medi-Cal.
And let’s be clear: Medi-Cal is not just a health care program. It’s a lifeline.
Nearly 80% of our patients rely on Medi-Cal to access the care they need. Without it, thousands in our community would go without treatment, delay critical diagnoses, or end up in emergency rooms for preventable issues. Medi-Cal means the difference between stability and crisis. It keeps people working, kids learning, and seniors aging with dignity.
Here’s what that looks like up close: “When I lost my job and health insurance last year, I felt completely lost,” says Anna (name changed). “As a diabetic, Axis was there for me. They gave me affordable care and connected me with resources I didn’t even know existed. They helped me stay healthy and hopeful while I got back on my feet.”
This is the reality for so many. At Axis, 83% of our patients live at or below the Federal Poverty Level, that’s less than $31,200 a year for a family of four in one of the most expensive regions in the country.
And this struggle doesn’t stop at the clinic door. Half of the patients we screened recently reported financial strain. That’s why we go beyond medical care — we help people apply for food benefits, find housing support, secure transportation, and navigate legal or employment issues. Health isn’t just about what happens in the exam room. It’s about everything that happens outside it, too.
Axis offers a full spectrum of services: primary care, dental, mental health, chronic disease management, vision, acupuncture, chiropractic, and more. It’s a whole-person model rooted in respect, compassion, and connection. But none of it works without the backbone of public programs like Medi-Cal.
Cuts to Medi-Cal would be devastating. They would rip holes in the safety net that supports over 15,000 of our patients. They would force more families into medical debt or leave them untreated altogether. And they would undercut the work Community Health Centers across California are doing every day, work that’s keeping 1 in 5 Californians healthy and out of crisis.
There are nearly 2,300 Community Health Centers in California. Like Axis, every dollar we receive gets reinvested back into care. We’re nonprofit. We’re mission-driven. And we’re built to serve those who would otherwise fall through the cracks.
When we protect Medi-Cal, we’re not just protecting coverage — we’re protecting lives, families and futures.
Now is not the time to pull back.
Editor’s note: Liz Perez-Howe is the CEO of Axis Community Health, a Community Health Center serving all ages operating in the Tri-Valley.
