I love the GOP ignoring the well run Medicare program - as they compare the proposed CA health care "government-run system" to the Department of Motor Vehicles, predicting, again ignore Medicare, that there will be a "bloated bureaucracy" that will ignore cost reducing "preventative programs".
Meanwhile the Massachusetts and San Francisco universal plans still use insurance companies-- providing funds for those great CEO salaries and stockholder returns, and maintaining the underwriting concept of keeping costs down by denying the sick affordable health care. I do love the health insurance companies selling their ability to "manage costs" when they are themselves an extra 20 to 30% cost - and thats even after dumping the "uninsurables" onto the government while offering the "uninsurables" - read the folks who are "sick" - minimal, albeit "affordable" insurance that pays for nearly nothing.
I rather like a health care measure that would:
-- Eliminate private health insurance plans and create the California Health Insurance System.
-- Provide health care insurance for all Californians.
-- Guarantee patients the ability to choose their own doctors and hospitals.
-- Pool funds now being spent on health insurance and save money by reducing overhead and using leveraged buying power for things like prescription drugs.
I also like getting it passed in one bill, knowing that it will require separate legislation to establish financing of the system.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/08/29/MNGBSKR3RA1.DTLAssembly approves universal health care
Passage of bill seen as election-year test for Schwarzenegger
Lynda Gledhill, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Sacramento -- <snip>On a largely party-line 43-30 vote, the Assembly approved a bill by state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, that would eliminate private medical insurance plans and establish a statewide health insurance system that would provide coverage to all Californians. The state Senate has already approved the plan once and is expected this week to approve changes that the Assembly made to the bill. <snip>
(Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides -not supporting the Kuehl bill) " supports moving toward universal health care by first covering all children and then requiring businesses to cover their employees," said Angelides spokesman Nick Pappas. <snip>
SB840 would provide comprehensive medical, dental, vision, hospitalization and prescription drug coverage to every California resident. Anyone could see any doctor or go to any hospital. <snip>
That would mean combining all state and federal funds, along with business contributions and participant payments and co-payments. The report suggests that funding could come through an 8 percent payroll tax and a 3 percent individual income tax. <snip>