[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Sara Rogers
Health Consultant
Office of California State Senator Sheila Kuehl

• AB 8 (Nunez/Perata) passes Senate Health Committee
• Governor touts his “outline for health reform”
but has no legislation
• SB 840 continues as the only tested plan

In early January of this year, a flood of health insurance “reform” plans were announced, seemingly based on how fast dueling press releases could be faxed – first from Governor Schwarzenegger, then from Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, followed quickly by Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata. The year 2007 was precipitously baptized “the year of Health Reform” and off everyone was to summarily solve one of the most systemic, complex and politically implosive “issues” that California faces – in nine short months.

Never mind that the Governor’s plan consisted (as it still does) of a 10-page policy paper and that Legislative proposals (other than SB 840) were still in their infancy. The promise of the Governor and legislative leaders being committed to “getting something done this year” was enough to sell the idea that the vast issue of health reform could be (and ought to be) cracked in a single year.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

State Senator Sheila Kuehl, author of SB 840, the single payer health insurance bill dubbed "Medicare for All," joins Allen and Cynthia Campbell in front of the state Capitol in Sacramento.

By Frank D. Russo

An incredibly sad story of two human beings--a nurse, who despite 30 years of working and paying health insurance premiums is now uninsurable with a rare form of cancer--and her loving and supportive husband--was told both outside the state Capitol and inside to the Assembly Health Committee on Tuesday, as it debated, and eventually passed SB 840 by Senator Kuehl that would bring universal health insurance coverage to all Californians.

On the Capitol lawn, holding a sign that said, "Blue Shield, Blue Cross, Don't Kill My Wife," Allen Campbell stood next to his wife and supported her when she became weak. They spoke to passersby using a bullhorn. I was able to talk with them and to get to know them. They are both extraordinary individuals who at great peril have helped to save victims of genocide in Rwanda. They are also ordinary Californians who are experiencing a hellish nightmare with the current private health insurance system in our state.

Here is what they had to say to the Assembly Committee, speaking truth to power that brought tears to my eyes and many others.

Cynthia Campbell

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Working Californians blogs]

Dan Walters is in a snit today over the Democrats and Schwarzenegger's reluctance to discuss a relatively obscure but important federal law. That law is the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) which was passed in the 1970s to secure employee benefit plans. It may or may not preclude the legislature from enacting broad based health insurance reform. Recently it was used to strike down a Maryland bill that regulated Wal-Mart. The legislators say that they have carefully crafted their bill to stay within the law, but it is not guaranteed.

The only way way is to pass legislation and defend it against the inevitable lawsuit by the Chamber of Commerce and Blue Cross. Spending a lot of time talking about the potential legality is pointless. It only undermines the entire reform effort, by sowing fear of the unknown. Sounds just like a Blue Cross tactic. There is no motivation for the legislators and Arnold to talk about a hypothetical legal case that they believe they have the advantage on. The reality is that we need to pass the legislation first then see what the courts have to say and even if that fails, there can always be a request for an exemption.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Prop 103 of 1988 Saves Californians Over $200 Million

Implications in New Study Based on 15 Years of Data is Timely for Health Insurance Bill Up in Committee Today

By Carmen Balber
Consumer Advocate
Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR)

FTCR released a new study this week of California's landmark insurance reform initiative, Proposition 103, that shows that the nation's most effective insurance regulation system has dramatically reduced costs for consumers and provides a model for health insurance reform. The Assembly Appropriations committee considers legislation today (AB 1554 – Jones) that would regulate the health insurance industry ala Prop. 103.