PRESS RELEASE
ICYMI: “If We Do Not Pass Measure B, There’s No Safety Net for Hundreds of Thousands of San Diegans…It’s Just Gone.”
SAN DIEGO, CA— Following the news that federal budget cuts were driving Sharp HealthCare to lay off 260 frontline healthcare workers, San Diego Foundation president and CEO Mark Stuart issued a stark warning to San Diegans: our healthcare safety nets will end as we know it – unless voters vote “Yes” on Measure B.
Sharp HealthCare’s plans are the direct result from the steep cuts to Medi-Cal in 2025’s H.R. 1 (the “Big Beautiful Bill Act”) on top of the expiration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies.
In an interview with CBS 8, Stuart warned that unless San Diego county voters approve Measure B in November, the looming cuts will also result in people losing coverage and access to preventative care, further tightening the squeeze on our local healthcare providers.
The reductions are attributed to rising costs and policy changes, particularly cuts to federal reimbursement programs like Medicaid and Medicare.
Mark Stuart, president and CEO of the San Diego Foundation, highlighted the financial pressures facing healthcare providers in the region and expressed support for The San Diego County Health and Safety Act, a November ballot measure aimed at raising the county sales tax by half a cent.
This initiative hopes to generate hundreds of millions of dollars for healthcare and safety-net services, as Stuart warned, “If we do not pass Measure B, there is no safety net for hundreds of thousands of San Diegans who are going to be losing their health care, their SNAP benefits, other things that they’ve come to depend upon. It’s just gone.”
Measure B is a citizen-led initiative on the November 2026 ballot designed to protect local healthcare coverage, public health programs, 911 emergency response, and public safety in San Diego County. Measure B is endorsed by community advocates and labor including the American Academy of Pediatrics-San Diego Chapter, San Diego County Hospital Association, San Diego County Firefighters Cal-Fire Local 2281, and First 5 San Diego.
##