Assembly Bill 1400 faces deadlines in Sacramento in January. Governor Newsom’s leadership can move it forward. This could be the beginning of the implementation of a single payer system in California. If single payer happens in California it will probably happen nationwide.
It is evident how much you value the health of Californians, given your dedicated management of the health care crisis during the pandemic. Now we need your leadership to tackle the urgent need for single payer health care. We could have saved lives and money during this pandemic if we already had in place a single payer system similar to that in SB 562 or AB 1400. We know you are a strong supporter. A more efficient system, designed to care for patients rather than make profits, can save California money and, more importantly, save lives.
In your 2018 campaign for governor, we were encouraged by the position you took regarding California’s need for a health care delivery system that provides coverage and access through a unified financing system. At that time, candidate Newsom told the crowd, “It’s time to move SB 562 along. It’s time to get it out of committee.” You stated, “If we can’t get it done next year (pass SB 562), you have my firm and absolute commitment as your next governor that I will lead the effort to get it done. We will have universal health care in the state of California.”
To facilitate such a result, in December 2019, you announced the launch of the Healthy California for All Commission, now scheduled to publish its final report in February. However, AB 1400, the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act, must pass through the Assembly by January 31. Now is the time for you to use your leadership skills to “get it done.” Now is the perfect opportunity for you to fulfill your campaign promise to the residents of California. There is no time to lose. The need is critical.
The multi-payer, for-profit system that we have is broken and unsustainable. It harms businesses struggling to provide health care benefits for their employees and still compete in global markets. Increasingly, employers are shifting costs to their employees through plans that have higher deductibles, fewer benefits, and more out-of-pocket expenses. The pandemic and the ensuing layoffs underscored the dangers of tying health care to employment, as people lost their jobs and their health insurance in the middle of a health care crisis. It’s time to change course.
In AB 1400 (Kalra), we have a great single payer program. By covering every California resident, it will move us toward health equity and social justice. It will invest in underserved communities and negotiate lower drug prices. It will cover much needed long-term care with in-home support services and provide comprehensive benefits including dental, vision and hearing. By making all needed health care available and promoting preventive care, it will improve Californians’ health outcomes, which are woefully unacceptable today. People will access care before their health issues become more serious, harder to treat, and even fatal. Californians should not have to worry about going bankrupt when they get sick.
Today, 85% of Democratic voters in California support a single payer system, and 67% of voters across the political spectrum support it. Clearly, you have the public support. And with Xavier Becerra as head of U.S. Health and Human Services, we can get the federal waivers we need to approve and fund our system. Governor Newsom, with the pandemic still raging in our country, the year 2022 could
not be a more auspicious time for you to take the action you promised in your election campaign. This health care crisis has become a bittersweet opportunity, one we cannot afford to waste. When California leaders commit to evidence-based policy making, we will have a healthier, much more resilient population, which we are sure you would like to associate with the Newsom governorship.
Right now is the moment when you can make a difference. We need your leadership to usher AB 1400 through the Assembly in January. The uninsured and underinsured residents of the state are looking to you to intervene on their behalf, along with those suffering with high medical bills and having treatment denied. We cannot receive the waivers we need for a single payer system until a bill is passed. You have a critical role to play in making this happen. Take the lead on this, and you will be taking the lead for the whole nation.
Respectfully,
The Board of Directors of Health Care for All – California
Let’s make it go viral so that the next virus pandemic is not so damaging to our healthcare system.
