Error
  • JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 62
Sunday, 24 June 2007 23:17

State Mandated Health Care Gets A Boost Yesterday As Two Democrats Merge Their Bills

Written by 
Rate this item
(0 votes)
slide38Senate Leader Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez announced today that they had merged their competing health care reform proposals into one bill AB8- now, setting the stage talks between the Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Perata stated yesterday “At every step in this process, we have proved the critics wrong. We are showing that we can tackle a problem as big and complex as health care – and improve the lives of millions of Californians,” Perata said. “I look forward to finishing what we have started and delivering to the Governor meaningful health care reform.”

Republicans and small-business owners have joined forces to fight the plan because it would require all employers to either provide health insurance to their workers or pay into a state pool that will then provide insurance for employees. The proposal detailed today can be passed without republican votes, although Nunez and Perata said they will do their best to accommodate some of their concerns. Perata agrees with Governor Schwarzenegger and also seeks to require individuals to buy insurance but that proposal was not included in the revised AB 8.

The combined bill contains provisions that state * Insurance companies will be required to cover anyone who does not have a "serious" medical condition. Which conditions will be exempt remains to be determined. Customers who do have a serious prior condition would be able to get insurance through a high-risk pool subsidized by the state.* Doctors and hospitals will not have to pay a percentage of their income into a state pool, as Schwarzenegger has proposed. This will no doubt be negotiated this summer. The legislation will be first debated next month, but a final deal isn't expected until September.

Read 1130 times Last modified on Friday, 28 August 2009 02:05