Healthcare

In the San Joaquin Valley, too many families still face the impossible choice between paying for a doctor or putting food on the table. With one of the most severe provider shortages in the country, access to care is limited by distance, cost, and language barriers. Growing up, Congressman Jim Costa saw these challenges firsthand. As his mother often said, “Without your health, you have nothing.” That principle has guided his work in both the State Legislature and Congress by fighting to ensure every Valley family can afford the care they need.

From emergency rooms to rural clinics, Costa has worked to expand healthcare access across the region. As a state legislator, he helped establish the Valley’s first and only trauma center between Sacramento and Los Angeles and secured $26 million to create the UCSF Fresno Center for Medical Education and Research, laying the groundwork for training doctors locally. In Congress, he introduced the Expanding Medical Education Act to fund medical schools in rural and underserved areas, supporting plans for full medical schools at UCSF Fresno and UC Merced. He has delivered millions in federal investments to strengthen local hospitals and clinics by expanding United Health Centers in Parlier, securing $48 million in COVID relief for Kaweah Health, and directing over $100 million to community health centers for vaccination, testing, and treatment. When Madera Community Hospital faced closure, he brought in federal partners to explore emergency relief to restore critical services in one of the region’s most underserved areas.

Costa has also been a leader in making healthcare more affordable. In 2010, Costa worked with President Obama and House Democrats to pass the Affordable Care Act (ACA), expanding coverage to over 35 million Americans, protecting 130 million people with pre-existing conditions, and lowering healthcare costs for working families. He has consistently defended the ACA from repeal attempts and, under President Biden, voted for the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act, which saved 13 million Americans an average of $800 annually on health premiums. These laws also capped seniors’ prescription costs at $2,000, lowered insulin prices to $35 per month for Medicare recipients, and empowered Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. Costa also supported making hearing aids available over the counter, saving families thousands of dollars.

A strong advocate for Medicare and Medicaid (Medi-Cal) in California, Costa has fought to protect and strengthen these vital programs, which together cover millions of Valley residents, including over 1.8 million Medi-Cal recipients in the region. He has repeatedly voted to reauthorize and expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), ensuring care for more than 12 million children nationwide. When Republicans pushed the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, which would have made the largest cuts to Medicaid and Medicare in U.S. history, Costa voted no, warning it would gut funding for clinics, hospitals, and home care, raise costs for seniors, and strip healthcare from Americans.