Calif. Nurses Laud Passage of Single-Payer, SB 840, Seen as National Model for Guaranteed Healthcare for All

MarketWatch
September 1, 2008

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee today hailed the California Legislature’s passage of a single-payer, expanded Medicare for all, style bill that would guarantee quality health care for all Californians — and called it a model for the national healthcare reform debate that is sure to emerge in 2009.

SB 840, authored by State Senator Sheila Kuehl, passed its final legislative hurdle with a vote in the State Senate today and is headed to the desk of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger who vetoed an earlier version of the bill two years ago.

“But a lot has changed since then, including the further implosion of our healthcare safety net, and the Governor’s own professed support for universal healthcare,” said CNA/NNOC co-president Malinda Markowitz, RN. Nurses will remind Schwarzenegger of that pledge, she said.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/calif-nurses-laud-passage-single-payer/story.aspx?guid=%7B203DC8E2-395B-4836-99E8-2B1C81FFF4F2%7D&dist=hppr

Senate Bill No. 840:
http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_0801-0850/sb_840_bill_20080811_amended_asm_v95.pdf

And…

Governor Schwarzenegger’s Health Care Plan

Assembly Bill X1 1, the Health Care Security and Cost Reduction Act:

Requires that all Californians take responsibility for their health coverage (individual mandate).

Guarantees that no Californian will be turned away from buying insurance based on their age or medical history (guarantee issue).

Spreads responsibility across individuals, government, hospitals and employers (shared responsibility).

Makes coverage more affordable for individuals and families through tax credits and subsidies.

Helps keep hospitals and emergency rooms open by increasing Medi-Cal reimbursement rates.

Allows individuals to choose their health coverage and keep their current insurance.

http://www.fixourhealthcare.ca.gov/plan

Two years ago California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a prior version of this single payer bill stating, “I must veto SB 840 because I cannot support a government-run health care system.”

He then initiated an intensive effort to create legislation that would provide coverage for all Californians, but crafted to comply with his policy principles listed above. His efforts fell short and resulted in AB X1 1 – legislation that would better be characterized as a take-it-or-leave-it package of incremental reforms. There were many beneficial reforms in the package that have broad support, but there were many other severe deficiencies that provoked considerable opposition. The legislative battle was very painful for all of us who believe that everyone should have affordable access to all necessary health care. The bill essentially died in the Senate Health Committee when supporters could muster only one vote in favor of it.

In passing SB 840 once again, the California State Legislature is giving Gov. Schwarzenegger another opportunity to sign legislation that actually would provide health care for everyone through a model that would use our health care dollars much more efficiently. It will be a test to see if his goal of ensuring health care for all Californians is more important to him than his personal anti-government ideology. Let’s hope that he leaves his intellectual exercises on ideology in his cigar tent as he comes out and signs a bill that benefits the health of the people.