Cross-Border Healthcare: A Complex Problem Meets a Bipartisan Solution

Nurse standing in front of a backdrop that shows a blank map of California and a blank map of Mexico.
Image created by IVN staff.
Chad PeaceChad Peace
Published: 30 Apr, 2025
3 min read

While healthcare in California has seen massive investments in coverage and access, these gains often mean little to border residents who split time, family, or even residency across two countries.

On the other side, private providers in Baja California frequently serve US citizens, especially for dental, vision, or urgent care services, at dramatically lower prices. Still, there's no mechanism to formally integrate or reimburse these services within our system.

It’s not that people aren't seeking care. It’s that the system wasn’t built to reflect how people actually live in border regions.

The Push for a Binational Healthcare Pathway

This is where AB 955, the Cross-Border Healthcare Implementation Act, comes in. The bill was introduced by Assemblymember David Alvarez, who represents the border-straddling 80th District. 

The bill proposes something rare: policy that acknowledges the practical reality of binational living.

AB 955 would authorize California to partner with certified Mexican healthcare providers, licensed, accredited, and vetted to US standards, to offer approved medical services to California residents.

Whether through full-service hospitals or contract-based providers, the bill seeks to build a regulated, accessible cross-border healthcare network.

Bipartisan Backing for a Binational Issue

This isn’t just another proposal – it’s one that could generate significant bipartisan, if not universal, consensus.

Earlier this month, AB 955 passed the Assembly Health Committee in a unanimous 16-0 vote, with support from Democrats and Republicans alike. In a time when agreement on even basic public health issues can feel elusive, this level of consensus is notable.

IVP Donate

The bill also reflects the cumulative work of legislators from across California, whose focus areas align with the goals of AB 955, even if they don’t all represent border districts:

Former Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), for example, has long advocated for California-Mexico collaboration, coauthoring legislation to support the Border Relations Council, which includes healthcare policy. His district includes Imperial County, where cross-border health access is a day-to-day necessity.

State Senator Megan Dahle (R-Bieber) represents rural Northern California, not a border region, but her advocacy for flexible licensing, rural health access, and provider pipelines mirrors the infrastructure needs AB 955 tries to solve on the border.

Assemblymember Tasha Boerner (D-Encinitas) has supported community clinic integration and maternal health equity. Her interest in mobile and community-based delivery models aligns with potential cross-border care delivery approaches.

Together with Alvarez, these legislators bring regional credibility and legislative experience to a conversation that transcends geography and ideology.

When Reality Meets Reform

This isn’t just about cheaper dental care or faster urgent care access. It’s about recognizing how modern communities function and updating our laws to reflect that reality.

Healthcare is deeply personal – but policy doesn’t have to be impersonal. When lawmakers can come together, regardless of party or zip code, to address the real-world needs of their constituents, that’s when democracy actually works.

AB 955 is still making its way through the legislature. But with this kind of bipartisan momentum, and a legislative team that reflects California’s diversity, it just might be the breakthrough border residents have been waiting for.
 

Let Us Vote : Sign Now!

Editorial Note (May 5, 2025):

While AB 955 introduces a new framework for cross-border healthcare, it’s important to note that Mexican prepaid health plans already exist and are licensed by the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC). These plans are exempt from many state-level patient protections under the Knox-Keene Act, including standards for timely access to care, network adequacy, grievance processes, and quality oversight.

DMHC has also reported compliance issues, particularly involving denied emergency care reimbursements at U.S. hospitals. If AB 955 leads to expanded cross-border coverage, it will be essential to hold participating plans to the same standards of care and oversight required of other California health plans to ensure patient protection.

You Might Also Like

California and US flags.
BREAKING: CA Democrats Remove Trigger Language from Redistricting Bill, Will Gerrymander With or Without Texas
A new congressional map will most likely appear on a special election ballot in California, whether or not Texas signs into law its own gerrymandered maps, after the “trigger” language was removed from the proposed constitutional amendment Thursday....
21 Aug, 2025
-
2 min read
Person installing solar panels on roof.
How Californians Without Solar Got Stuck Paying for Those Who Do
Californians pay the ...
19 Aug, 2025
-
9 min read
Warning No Gerrymandering
CA Initiative Filed to Punish Politicians Who Undermine Redistricting Commission
State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) has added additional stakes to the redistricting drama that is unfolding in California with an initiative designed to punish any lawmaker who votes to gerrymander the state's maps....
19 Aug, 2025
-
3 min read
Blonde woman voting.
Here’s Proof that Independent Voters are Not Just Democrats or Republicans
IVN recognizes that being independent means something different to different people. It isn’t an ideology. It doesn’t require people to fall “in the center.” Being independent-minded is a mindset, and these voters can exist across the political spectrum....
11 Aug, 2025
-
3 min read
Gavin Newsom frowning
Gavin Newsom Has a Big Problem
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Governor Gavin Newsom is finding out the hard way that Californians, especially...
14 Aug, 2025
-
3 min read
Redistricting fight.
The 10 Worst Gerrymandered States in the Country
Monday marked another escalation in the mid-cycle redistricting fight between Republicans in Texas and Democrats in California – with one in another special session to add 5 more GOP seats, and the other maneuvering to counter this with 5 new Democratic seats....
18 Aug, 2025
-
7 min read