[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Rick Jacobs
Chair
The Courage Campaign

This is personal.

I was quite surprised when I learned that Terry McAuliffe was going to appear at a major convention of health insurance corporations in San Francisco on June 19.

After all, how could the former Chair of the Democratic National Committee show up as a guest of health insurance executives -- much less accept any money for his appearance at the AHIP (America's Health Insurance Plans) convention? This appearance seems inappropriate at best, especially after Barack Obama and Howard Dean courageously directed the Democratic National Committee last week to reject contributions from lobbyists, including the health insurance industry.

And now it's personal. My sister, who suffers from severe and rapidly deteriorating hearing loss, just told me that she has been denied useful health care coverage. Again. Why? Because her hearing problems have been diagnosed as a "pre-existing condition," precluding her from receiving cochlear implants so she can hear again.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Attention conservative bloggers and the single-payer "all-or-nothing" crowd: another court has thrown a wrench into your argument that the Nunez/Perata/Schwarzenegger health care plan may violate fedeal law.
 
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the powerful Ninth U.S. Circuit of Appeals has given a green light to the City of San Francisco's health care plan. (Read the decision here.)
 
Opponents of the Assembly-passed plan had been using this case as a reason the Legislature shouldn't move forward on what would be the largest expansion of health insurance coverage in the United States. So much for that.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

I’m skeptical there will be a California health care deal in 2007 or 2008. But I’d be happy to be proven wrong as there is a rare opportunity to get something done that would be remarkably similar to the plans proposed by many of the Democratic candidates for President. The devil is in the details as to AB 1X 1 which will be voted on today in the Assemblhy, but it’s the only game in town for the foreseeable future.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see a single payer plan—SB 840 by Senator Sheila Kuehl passed and signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger. It was passed in 2006, but vetoed by the Governor. Senator Kuehl could have brought the bill up in 2007 in either the regular or special session, but has chosen not to do so, as it would only end up being vetoed by the Governor. It has the Democratic votes to pass and can be voted on next year before adjournment of the current session. It should be easier to finance than other plans as it would save the 25% to 30% of every premium dollar now paid in California that goes to insurance company overhead and profits. Medicare handles this share of cost for about 5%.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Elizabeth M. Imholz
Special ProjectsDirector
Consumers Union

Since our founding in 1936, Consumers Union has worked to attain universal, affordable, high-quality health coverage for all. Over the past year we have sought to help craft reform that would bring affordable, comprehensive health insurance coverage and high quality care to all Californians, perhaps the most important and complex policy issue facing the State of California. We supported AB 8 (Nunez), in its finally amended state. We believe that ABx1 1 provides a bridge between AB 8 and ABx1 2, the Administration’s reform proposal, and with some amendments holds the promise of creating a system that would ensure the availability of needed, affordable health care for Californians.

Our framework for evaluating any proposal for universal health reform rests on three broad principles:

• Fair, adequate financing;

• Access to comprehensive, affordable care;

• Quality, efficiency and cost control.

by Ilya Sheyman [courtesy of Blog for America]

George Bush did it again. He sided with insurance and drug company profits over the health and well-being of our nation’s Children. Last Friday night, the Bush administration released a letter to state health officials that effectively eliminated health insurance coverage for millions of American kids. This underhanded one-size-fits-all cutback limits Vermont's ability to cover uninsured kids and cripples any chance of reasonable expansion.

The past 48 hrs, outraged DFA activists across the country have been taking action to stop these changes and put an end to George Bush's anti-children campaign. Thousands called their Governor and demanded them to call President Bush and oppose these changes.

Here's a small sample of the many reports we've received:

William in Wisconsin:

"Brett at the Governor's office told me that they had taken perhaps thousands of calls on this topic, and that he would pass along my concerns. Doyle is pretty solid when it comes to children's issues."

Governor Lynch responded directly to Democracy for New Hampshire;

by Jack Boyte [courtesy of Blog for America]

Last Friday evening at 7:30 PM, the Bush administration published new rules for the State Children's Health Insurance Program(SCHIP). Under George Bush's new rules, some poor children must prove they've been without health insurance coverage for the last twelve months prior to making application to SCHIP.

Oklahoma is one of the 19 states directly affected by this new ruling and some of the other governors are speaking out about the unfairness of this ruling.

Gov. Henry, we can't hear you, speak louder!

"It's easier to build strong children than repair broken men." -- Fredrick Douglas

by Sheri Divers [courtesy of Blog for America]

Late Friday night the Bush administration released a letter to state health officials that effectively eliminated health insurance coverage for millions of American kids.  This underhanded one-size fits all cutback limits your state's ability to cover uninsured kids and cripples any chance of reasonable expansion.¹

Call your governor right now and demand your state stand up to President Bush's anti-children campaign. Look up your governor's number here:

http://www.DemocracyforAmerica.com/FindMyOfficial

Here's what you can say:
"President Bush's new rules which reduce the availability of the Children's Health Insurance Program for uninsured kids must be repealed. The governor must call President