Additional $19 Million in Grants Now Available for Health Center Infrastructure, Including Physical and Cyber Security
SACRAMENTO – As the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade approaches this Sunday, the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) is announcing a new partnership to help distribute $60 million in grants to expand access to abortions, abortion-related services and general reproductive health care.
HCAI has named Essential Access Health, a California-based advocate for reproductive health, to administer the Uncompensated Care and Abortion Practical Support grant programs. The Uncompensated Care Fund will provide $40 million in grants to health care providers who deliver abortion and abortion-related care to individuals with an income below 400 percent of the federal poverty level and who do not have coverage for such services.
“We are pleased to announce our partnership with Essential Access Health as they have many years of experience doing the important work of supporting individuals who face barriers in accessing reproductive health services,” said HCAI Director Elizabeth Landsberg. “These grants allow underserved populations, and those without coverage for abortion and reproductive health care the opportunity to access the health care they need, when they need it.”
Essential Access Health will also administer the Abortion Practical Support Fund, awarding $20 million in grants to nonprofit organizations to help individuals seeking abortion care with the supports necessary to access abortion-related care. Practical support can include travel, lodging, childcare, food, and other ancillary supports.
“As an OBGYN, I am committed to helping ensure Californians can protect their reproductive health across their lifespan,” said California Surgeon General, Dr. Diana Ramos. “ People can feel reassured knowing that California is taking bold steps forward to protect reproductive rights and enhance access to reproductive health services for individuals all over the country.”
HCAI is also currently accepting applications for $20 million in grants under the Clinical Infrastructure Fund to increase the amount and types of health care providers offering reproductive health care, and it is coordinating with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) on the Physical and Digital Infrastructure Security Grant Program.
The Infrastructure Security program offers $19 million in new grants for physical and data security at facilities providing abortion-related care and reproductive health services. The grants will fund physical and digital security enhancements at health care facilities and practitioner offices throughout the state that may be the target of violence and vandalism. Learn more about the program on the Cal OES website.
These grants are part of a broader effort by Governor Gavin Newson’s Administration to champion reproductive rights and protections for anyone who seeks care in California. Most recently, Proposition 1 went into effect, amending the state constitution to enshrine protections for reproductive freedom, including abortion care and contraception. The grants announced today are part of $200 million in the 2022-2023 budget to support and expand abortion-related care and reproductive health services across the state.