[courtesy of California Progress Report]

* Insurers would face restrictions in cancelling coverage retroactively
* Patients would be better able to assess hospital cost and quality data
* Other bills on hospital community benefits and "boutique hospitals"

By Hanh Kim Quach
Health Care Policy Coordinator
Health Access California

The Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday approved a smattering of bills that would begin to set the foundation for health care reform, providing security to health consumers – both for their coverage and choice of provider.

Two of the bills deal with the insurer practice of retroactively canceling policies after patients become sick and need expensive treatments. These rescissions leave patients tens of thousands – if not hundreds of thousands in debt. Another bill would require medical providers to disclose cost and quality information in order to give purchasers more power in selecting the highest quality and most efficient care.

RESCISSIONS

by Mark Leno Campaign [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom greeted bloggers today during the general session of the California State Democratic Convention. It was a friendly chit chat with folks from Calitics and the California Majority Report, but the real intrigue was behind the scenes. I've heard rumblings that the Mayor was seen meeting with high-level California Teachers Association figures earlier today. Something tells me they weren't talking about school lunches.

Speaking of not school lunches, former Controller Steve Westly was also seen entering a closed-doors private sit-down with Attorney General Jerry Brown.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

In this week’s Democratic weekly radio address, Assemblymembers Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) and Kevin De León (D-Los Angeles) argue that protecting our state’s schools from drastic budget cuts should be a top priority during ongoing budget negotiations.

You can listen in English or Spanish. The transcript is below.

Hello. This is Assemblymember Julia Brownley, chair of the Budget Subcommittee on Education.

Today’s global economy provides many opportunities, but it also means our children are competing for jobs with countries like China and India, which long ago made education their top priority.

Parents understand that education is critical to future generations of Californians and don’t want shortsightedness in Sacramento to hold their children back.

For this reason, California voters overwhelmingly support Proposition 98, a ballot measure that was designed to protect vital funding for schools and teachers.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Today the Education Coalition released a new radio ad statewide, featuring parents at a PTA meeting talking about the impact of the Governor’s proposed budget cuts to students and schools, and urging Californians to call the Governor and their Legislators to tell them "no more education funding cuts." The transcript of the ad is below, and can be heard here.

California Education Coalition Radio Ad

"PTA"

Radio: 60 -- AS RECORDED(SFX: Low chatter of parents milling about after a local PTA meeting)

Mom: So...wow. Some PTA meeting, huh?

Dad: No kidding. Did you hear the Governor is saying we're in another budget crisis and need to cut education?

Mom: I know! Do lawmakers understand how these cuts could hurt our students?

Dad: I mean, the current plan would cut education again -- by nearly five-billion-dollars!

Mom: That means losing up to a-hundred-and-seven-thousand teachers.

Dad: ...and increasing overcrowded class sizes by more than a third.

Mom: It's so frustrating. Sacramento politicians can't seem to stay committed to funding our schools long enough to really make a difference

Dad: ...and isn't this exactly why we passed Prop 98? To guarantee a minimum level of funding for our public schools?

read more »

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Dennis Smith

I've taught community college for more than twenty years. In that time I've had students who take just one class, others who go on to get PhDs, and students who have exercised just about every option in between. I've had homeless students, mentally ill students, students who couldn't write, and students who could wield a pen like John Steinbeck.

Community colleges are a central economic engine of the state, returning three dollars for every one invested, in the form of greater income for graduates and more tax dollars for California. I love teaching and I put up with the frustrations of antiquated physical plant and other unhappy results of under-funding because I know what community colleges mean for my students, my community, and our society.

On the ballot on February 5 is Proposition 92, placed there by the California Federation of Teachers and a large coalition of supporters. Prop. 92 would lower student fees from $20 to $15 per unit, and change the state funding formula in Prop 98 so that community colleges receive more money from the state's general fund. The non-partisan Legislative Analyst agrees with Prop. 92 supporters that the measure would bring an extra $300 million per year to the colleges, without negatively affecting K-12 funding.