The bill is co-sponsored by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United and the California School Employees Association. It is opposed by a handful of health insurers and business groups, including the California Medical Association, California Chamber of Commerce, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the California Farm Bureau Federation.
The California Taxpayers Association, in its opposition, said higher payroll taxes that would be needed to fund a single payer health care system would hinder economic growth and discourage business investment in the Golden State.
The California Association of Health Plans (CAHP), too, urged lawmakers to reject the bill, arguing that eliminating the state’s health-insurance market would be a mistake. "Competitive forces in the private marketplace are vital in health care and must be preserved," CAHP Director of Legislative Affairs Nick Louizos wrote in a Jan. 20 opposition letter to senators. "California’s premiums are still competitive and in some cases lower than other large markets," he said. "Competition has been demonstrated, many times over, to achieve a better result than a centrally planned monopoly." SB810 is nearly identical to a proposal Leno introduced in 2010. The measure failed in the Assembly.
In 2008, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) vetoed SB840, a universal health care bill, the California Health Insurance Reliability Act (CHIRA), amid cost concerns.
Article comments
1 - Dr Dreadful
Not surprising that the idea for the bill came out of San Francisco, which has run its own successful public health care system for some years.
But, ideology aside, I do understand Republicans' cynicism. The State of California doesn't exactly have a stellar track record of efficiency, largely because the legislature can seldom agree on what day it is, never mind what bills to pass.
2 - Igor
The private health care system now in place looks a lot like what Strickland described:
a mammoth bureaucracy. “Clearly, if you want the compassion of the IRS and the efficiency of the DMV doing your healthcare, ..."
IIRC it was a California hospital chief who testified that he had a billing clerk for every bed in the hospital, and could only dream of having one nurse per bed.
The health system doesn't exist for the benefit of companies, it exists for the benefit people, especially sick people.
3 - roger nowosielski
#1
The single-payer plan, given efficient administration, ought to eliminate duplication of services and waste. Is there no hope for California?
Good to see you having churned out an article, Chis. It's been a long time since your last one.
4 - roger nowosielski
Sorry, wrong Chris.
5 - Naz
Working in the hospital I see every day medical services provided to homeless people or uninsured. Isn't this pretty much the same as universal healthcare? Nobody will refuse help to the needy and poor, we still pay through taxes for government's medicare/medicaid. Moreover the services are usually emergent which are more costly than preventative measures.