What To Know About Prop 34
10/23/2024 | 1m 40sVideo has Closed Captions
Prop 34 would restrict how certain healthcare providers use federal discount drug program funds.
Prop 34 would limit how providers using federal discount drug programs can spend their funds, requiring almost all of it to go toward direct patient care. Critics say it's aimed at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Supporters argue these funds should benefit low-income patients directly.
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SoCal Matters is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal
What To Know About Prop 34
10/23/2024 | 1m 40sVideo has Closed Captions
Prop 34 would limit how providers using federal discount drug programs can spend their funds, requiring almost all of it to go toward direct patient care. Critics say it's aimed at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Supporters argue these funds should benefit low-income patients directly.
Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipThere's a prop on this year's ballot that has something to do with spending restrictions on healthcare providers and Medi-Cal negotiations, and something called the 340B Drug Pricing Program, but really, it's all about this guy.
Let me explain.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is one of the biggest users of federal discount drug programs that gives cheaper medicine to health providers that serve low-income patients.
Its CEO is a guy named Michael Weinstein.
Weinstein's famous in California political circles and not because of healthcare.
His foundation has bankrolled three statewide campaigns to remove limits on rent control, along with a bunch of other controversial issues.
All of this has made Weinstein a political enemy of the state's landlord lobby, and now they're funding Prop 34.
The initiative says if you are a health provider using this federal discount drug program and you spend a lot of money on non-medical things and you own a lot of apartment buildings and you have a bunch of code enforcement violations, then you have to spend almost all of your money providing healthcare.
As far as anyone can tell, this would only apply to Weinstein's organization.
Supporters say discounts meant to fund healthcare for poor people should be used for that and not for, say, unrelated political campaigns.
Opponents say this is just a political vendetta.
Vote yes if you want the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and any similar health providers to spend virtually all of their money on direct patient care.
Vote no if you want to leave things the way they are.
SoCal Matters is a local public television program presented by PBS SoCal