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Santa Barbara — In response to the affordable health care crisis, Health Access, along with a coalition of health, consumer, patient, labor, and small business partners, will host the second in a continuing series of state-wide town halls focusing on health care affordability. High costs for health care are forcing millions of Californians to live sicker and be in greater amounts of debt because they cannot afford to seek treatment.
This virtual town hall on Tuesday, July 21st, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, will be focused on the high cost of care in Santa Barbara.
WHAT: As Californians face an affordability crisis on many fronts, the cost of health care has been rising above inflation for years, taking larger and larger chunks out of workers’ wages and family finances and driving more and more Californians into medical debt or to delay or skip care.
Health care, labor, business, and community groups will share their stories and urge local, state, and federal leaders to hear Californians’ calls for action on this crisis so Californians can all access the care they need.
Presentations will focus on local community concerns, data on the high cost of care in Santa Barbara, and current policy solutions like the state’s new Office of Health Care Affordability.
WHO: Representatives from Health Access California and a coalition of health, consumer, patient, labor, and small business partners
WHEN: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Tuesday, July 21, 2026
WHERE: *This is a virtual town hall; please register using the link below.
Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfD3GMYwICWJpd_ZU5G0NoLZJZNgDwfwyDf0MrEk4cGA990YQ/viewform
BACKGROUND:
As reported by the California Health Care Foundation, 6/10 Californians reported that in the last 12 months alone, they resorted to skipping or delaying their health care because they could not afford the cost of receiving care. As a result, 42% said skipping care altogether made their condition worse.
The state’s new Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) has set a statewide cost growth target at 3%, down from the current rate of 6%, to better align with the growth in family incomes. Over time, this will bring health care costs closer to what people can afford.
A recent poll shows that 68% of California voters support the effort to slow the rising cost of care.
For more detailed information on the health care affordability crisis, visit Health Access’ website linked here.
