Bill for universal health system OK'd (in CA)

[question everything]

Bill for universal health system OK'd

SACRAMENTO – The state Senate approved a bill yesterday to create a universal health care system overseen by an elected commissioner, although many details have to be worked out.

Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, urged senators to send her measure to the Assembly so negotiations could continue, with no funding plan likely to be added until next year. Senators agreed on a 24-14 vote.

Seven million Californians have no health insurance, and an additional 4 million had none at some point in the past two years, Kuehl said. She said an additional 4 million people are underinsured.

(snip)

Sen. Dave Cox, R-Fair Oaks, said the plan could cost $8 billion and predicted it would result in rationing of health care services. The Senate approved a less-ambitious version of Kuehl's bill in 2003 but it died in the Assembly.

Associated Press

From http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050601/news_1n1region.html

[phantom power]

1. Holy crap! Taxing the rich? Universal health care?

Any moment, Bush will be forced to declare war on California...

[rodeodance]

2. time to move to Californiaaaaaaa!!

[rodeodance]

4. many states have bandaid programs-all with administrative waste--a NEW

approach--needs to be taken to patch up all the patches and bandaids.
Time to the Congress to do their job---put its citizens first.

[phantom power]

7. Right on... if you can afford it

I heard the median home price in CA hit 500K. That's nuts.

[Amy6627]

8. It's pronounced Cal-e-forn-ya! You girlie man!

:hug:

[rodeodance]

12. drats--i just do not have Arnies dialect--oops

[MessiahRp]

3. LOL

So true, so true... :)

Rp

[rodeodance]

5. no doubt he would be silly enough to put his nose into the rift.

[rodeodance]

9. Repug Sen. using 'rationing' as a scare tactic again.

Sen. Dave Cox, R-Fair Oaks, said the plan could cost $8 billion and predicted it would result in rationing of health care services. The Senate approved a less-ambitious version of Kuehl's bill in 2003 but it died in the Assembly.

[LeftCoast]

16. Ha! We already 'ration health care'!

How many people can't go to the doctor when they're sick because they can't afford it? What is that if not rationing?

*Not arguing w/ you...just adding to your point! :)

[Sandpiper]

20. No kidding, We've been rationing healthcare for years now

The entire HMO system is based on rationing and going through a gate keeper.

[Barkley]

14. Universal healthcare would attract new businesses to California

since this plan could cut firms operating expenses. This would put pressure on firms in other parts of the country to cut health care cost and/ or implement a similar healthcare measure in their states.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. Oh no! not health care rationing!

Sen. Cox, look around. Most employer-sponsored plans have a heavy rationing component. They call it 'cost management.'
This is the most tired argument of those against universal health plans.

[phantom power]

11. They also have large "bureaucracies".

Another old saw. Cuz it's far better to work with a corporate bureaucracy, than a government bureaucracy.

[Barkley]

13. Health care is already rationed!

7 million people in California don't have it.

[rogue emissary]

10. Democrats in every so called blue state . . .

should push for some form of universal health care.

[iverglas]

21. exactly

As daleo notes, that is exactly how it worked in Canada -- one province first, followed by others, followed by a coherent national set of rules.

(Also, hospital insurance came first, followed by health care insurance. Dental care and drugs have been included in some provinces, but not all, and it's high time.)

In this among many ways, I would really love to see progressive people and organizations acting more locally in the US. Starting small and growing is really a lot more realistic than always pinning one's hopes on that one big jackpot in the White House.

Maine voted to adopt a universal single-public-payer health insurance scheme a couple of years ago. As far as I can ever tell, not much progress has been made since then. From 2002:
http://www.pnhp.org/news/2002/september/single_payer_moves_a.php
... 2003:
http://www.pnhp.org/news/2003/may/support_continues_fo.php

That site (Physicians for a National Health Health Program) has loads of info and ideas.

http://www.pnhp.org/facts/q_a_by_dr_john_geyman_president_2005.php

10. What if states move ahead with single-payer universal coverage before NHI?

As Thomas Bodenheimer observed 10 years ago, some states may develop single-payer systems of universal coverage as demonstration projects before NHI is initiated. That may well occur, since considerable momentum in that direction has been developing in California, Oregon, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, and some other states. A state enacting single-payer universal coverage would likely establish a new non-profit foundation, funded by the state, to pay for all medically necessary services, including emergency care, dental, vision, mental health, long-term care, and alternative medicine. Such a plan would be financed with federal funds already allocated to the state’s public programs (Medicare, Medicaid, S-CHIP, current government expenditures for employee health benefits), as well as by additional income and payroll taxes. Universal coverage would be provided to the state’s population without any exclusions for pre-existing conditions. In the longer term, all payments would be through an NHI trust fund, with a shift to funding by a progressive, income tax and employer payroll taxes.

[bemildred]

15. "Rationed" health care is better than no health care. nt

[realFedUp]

17. This is really good news.

Feeling better about CA Dems right now...

[daleo]

18. This is how universal health care came into being in Canada

First one province (Saskatchewan) managed the trick. That caused pressure on other provinces, until finally the federal government stepped in to broker a national policy.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

19. Well done California

I hope it's a beacon of light onto other states.

[bpilgrim]

22. it's cheaper that way to boot

the bigger the pool the CHEAPER it is.

peace