California’s Central Valley Shows the Sickness of Our Health System

Empty infant beds sit in the shuttered maternity ward of Madera Community Hospital. The hospital closed in January 2023 and the rural California community has been without a hospital since. Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images.

It’s a truism that bears repeating in California: Health care is ultimately about affordability and access. In both areas, the state is wanting.

At a time when state leaders have celebrated expanding health care coverage to all Californians, the somber reality is that many people are still reluctant or unable to see a doctor, no matter how much they’re hurting.