[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director of Health Access California

Those interested in health policy should be subscribed to the news summary that the Kaiser Family Foundation puts out on a daily basis. Now, those summaries will often include a health policy blog roundup, which will be another way to keep up-to-date. Here are several gold nuggets they found from panning the blogosphere about McCain's health plan:

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

California is the midst of a dry spell that could turn into a long term drought,reportsthe San Francisco Chronicle. The state experienced its driest spring inat least 150 years, and the Sierra Nevada snowpack (a major source ofwater) is only two-thirds its normal size. Local districts are alreadyconcerned and taking action, but mandatory water rationing on a statelevel will only occur if Governor Schwarzenegger declares a state ofemergency.

Anthony Wright, the executive director of Health Access California, is excoriating John McCain’s health care plan over at the California Progress Report, and with good reason. McCain’splan would shift even more power from individuals to healthinsurers—instead of increasing purchasing power for individuals, itdiminishes their bargaining ability.

Ron Paul thinks Barack Obama is going to be the next president ofthe United States, reports the LA Times’s Top of the Ticket. We’ll takethat for what it’s worth (maybe keeping in mind that Paul raised morethan twice as much as Huckabee in the primaries?).

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director of Health Access California

John McCain is getting beaten by a woman, and it's not Hillary Clinton. It's Elizabeth Edwards.

In unveiling his health care plan, McCain seems super-focused on the fact that many more people could be denied coverage because of "pre-existing conditions," as he seeks to shift people from employer-based coverage to the individual insurance market, with some assistance from a tax credit.

Elizabeth Edwards pointedly has challenged McCain, saying that an American with her or his health history would be denied under McCain's plan in the individual insurance market. (To be fair, the Los Angeles Times made this point earlier.) She's absolutely right.

And because of this, McCain has a liability. He even has a "myth and facts" section of his website designed to counter exactly one, and only one, myth:

"MYTH: Some Claim That Under John McCain's Plan, Those With Pre-Existing Conditions Would Be Denied Insurance.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

California Democratic Party chair Art Torres isn't impressed with John McCain's health care proposal. Here's the statement:

"One day after a new Field Poll showed that nearly six in ten California voters are 'very concerned' about not being able to afford health care, John McCain has presented a health care 'plan' that amounts to nothing more than a third Bush term.
 
The fact of the matter is McCain’s plan is all style and no substance. The McCain proposal lacks any specifics on how he plans to help more people get health insurance, or how he will bring down costs and improve quality.
 
And the plan wouldn’t do anything to help Senator McCain’s and my fellow cancer survivors and others with pre-existing conditions find health insurance.
 
Before John McCain publicly fantasizes again about winning California in November, he ought to listen to the millions of Californians who are very worried about their health care. Californians simply won’t accept four more years of the Bush approach to health care reform."

by Linda Seltzer [courtesy of Blog for America]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director of Health Access California

Earlier this week, I spoke at a press conference with Governor Schwarzenegger, Speaker Nunez, and many different stakeholders in the health care field, with the message that we aren't going to give up on health care reform. Video from that press conference is available at the Governor's website.

The Governor answered some questions, but he gave longer ones earlier in the day at the Sacramento Press Club. Here's a transcript on his answers on health reform, which give some insight into what he's thinking as we move forward...

Q: George Skelton, LA Times. Is there anything about the present, or the killed health care plan, that you would like to preserve and maybe make some incremental steps, instead of making the big comprehensive program, waiting and doing that? Or would you just do children, for instance, or would you do requirement for 85 percent patient care, that kind of thing?

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]