Health Access

Your Jan. 19 article, “People, Groups to Watch in the Managed Care Debate” contained some factual inaccuracies regarding Health Access.

Health Access is a 10-year-old organization. It was not formed to sponsor Proposition 214, as you claim.

Health Access is a coalition of over 225 organizations across the state (nearly half from L.A.) that represent a wide variety of consumer, health care worker, senior, community, disability, physician and disease groups. Health care workers comprise half a dozen of these groups. Health Access does not “represent” health workers’ unions as you claim.

Health Access has been the lead organization in a coalition of groups sponsoring the Patient Bill of Rights, a package of 21 consumer-oriented bills. The coalition, which includes AARP, Congress of Seniors, California Physicians Alliance, Neighbor to Neighbor L.A. and the Older Women’s League, organized half a dozen rallies across the state (including one in Los Angeles covered by four local TV news programs on Sept. 30), and collected over 30,000 post cards and letters (over 1,200 of them from Los Angeles). Health Access’ interests are those of consumers, not the preservation of jobs for health care workers as you claim.

DAVID GRANT

Director, Patient Access Program

Health Access Foundation

Editor’s Note: In preparing the Jan. 19 story, the Business Journal contacted both Health Access and its Sacramento lobbyist for information about the group. Neither returned calls.