FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Steven Henke
DAP Health Chief Marketing Officer
[email protected]
612.310.3047
DAP HEALTH URGES CALIFORNIANS TO VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 44
The ballot measure could threaten community health centers and the services
patients rely on beyond the exam room.
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — September 15, 2026 — DAP Health is urging California voters to reject Proposition 44 this November, warning that the ballot initiative could jeopardize community health centers and force clinics to scale back essential services that help patients access care and stay healthy.
The measure would penalize clinics for investing in certain patient-support services and give the California attorney general authority over decisions about the services health clinics can provide. Health economists cited by the No on Proposition 44 campaign estimate that the prop would cut $1.7 billion from community health centers in its first year and leave 88% of clinics statewide operating at a loss.
“At DAP Health, caring for the whole person means addressing the barriers that can keep someone from getting or benefiting from medical care,” says Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Aquilina. “Housing, nutrition, transportation, language access, and care navigation are not extras. They are vital parts of helping people live healthier lives. Proposition 44 puts all those services—and the patients who depend on them—at risk.”
Community health centers already operate under strict federal and state requirements, undergo regular audits, and must demonstrate that their resources support patient care. As nonprofit organizations, they are also governed by boards that include patients and require funds to be used for patient care and community benefit.
DAP Health believes Prop 44 would add costly restrictions without improving care. If community clinics must eliminate programs, reduce services, or close locations, more patients could be pushed toward already crowded hospital emergency departments, increasing wait times and health care costs for all.
Services and initiatives that could be affected include:
- Housing support: Affordable housing, emergency housing assistance, rental assistance, and housing navigation.
- Food and nutrition: Food assistance, nutrition support, and grocery-access programs.
- Patient support: Patient navigators, care coordinators, benefits-enrollment assistance, and referrals to specialists and community resources.
- Transportation: Bus passes, gas vouchers, and other help getting to appointments.
- Language access: Translation, interpretation, clear health information, and appointment reminders.
- Community outreach: Mobile health services, HIV and LGBTQ+ health education, prevention programs, and community health workers.
- Technology: Telehealth visits, patient portals, and other digital tools that connect patients with their care teams.
Prop 44 could also reduce DAP Health’s ability to invest in projects that expand access to care, including its new women’s health clinic under construction at DAP Health Sunrise; needed improvements to Vista Sunrise I, its 80-unit affordable housing community for people living with HIV in Palm Springs; and its new Oceanside Sexual Wellness Clinic and Pharmacy in North San Diego County.
“Every day, DAP Health helps people obtain medical and behavioral health care along with other services that make healthier lives possible,” adds Aquilina. “We encourage every eligible registered voter to learn about Prop 44, make a plan to vote, and vote no to protect comprehensive, compassionate care.”
What voters can do
- Visit noprop44.com and learn about Prop 44 before completing a ballot.
- Follow the No on Prop 44 campaign for current information.
- Confirm voter registration and applicable deadlines at registertovote.ca.gov.
- Vote no on Prop 44 and share reliable information with family and friends before Election Day on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
About DAP Health
Since 1984, DAP Health has remained committed to protecting and expanding health care access. Guided by the voices and needs of the diverse communities it serves, the nonprofit’s nearly 1,000 team members provide medical, dental, and behavioral health care, plus social services and more, to almost 80,000 people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, orientations, and socioeconomic statuses at 23 fixed locations and six mobile units from the Coachella Valley to the San Diego coast.
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