SACRAMENTO — When then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called for nearly all Californians to buy health insurance or face a penalty, Anthony Wright slammed the 2007 proposal as “unwarranted, unworkable, and unwise” — one that would punish those who could least afford coverage. The head of Health Access California, one of the state’s most influential consumer groups, changed course only after he and his allies extracted a deal to increase subsidies for people in need.
It can be The plan was ultimately blocked by Democrats who wanted the state to adopt a single-payer health care system instead. Yet the moment encapsulates classic Anthony Wright: independent-minded and willing to compromise if it could help Californians live healthier lives without going broke. This summer, Wright will assume the helm of the health consumer group , taking his campaign for more affordable and accessible health care to the national level and a deeply divided Congress.
In his 23 years in Sacramento, Wright has successfully lobbied to outlaw , require companies to report , and for uninsured patients — policies that have spread nationwide. “He pushed the envelope and gave people aspirational leadership,” said Jennifer Kent, who served as Schwarzenegger’s head of the Department of Health Care Services, which administers the state Medicaid program. The two were often on opposing sides on health policy issues.
“There was always, like, one more thing, one more goal, one more thing to achie.
