Social Security & Medicare Notes

California is also considering universal health care

Another state is working to provide universal healthcare to all its residents.

Here is the legislative summary of the universal healthcare proposal submitted to the California legislature Feb 22, 2006:

SB 840, as introduced, Kuehl.
Single-payer health care coverage.

Existing law does not provide a system of universal health care coverage for California residents. Existing law provides for the creation of various programs to provide health care services to persons who have limited incomes and meet various eligibility requirements. These programs include the Healthy Families Program administered by the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, and the Medi-Cal program administered by the State Department of Health Services. Existing law provides for the regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and health insurers by the Department of Insurance.

This bill would establish the California Health Insurance System to be administered by the newly created California Health Insurance Agency under the control of an elected Health Insurance Commissioner. The bill would make all California residents eligible for specified health care benefits under the California Health Insurance System, which would, on a single-payer basis, negotiate for or set fees for health care services provided through the system and pay claims for those services. The bill would impose limits on deductibles or copayments that the commissioner would be authorized to establish. The bill would require the health care system to be operational within 2 years of enactment, and would enact various transition provisions. The bill would require the commissioner to seek all necessary waivers, exemptions, agreements, or legislation to allow various existing federal, state, and local health care payments to be paid to the California Health Insurance System, which would then assume responsibility for all benefits and services previously paid
for with those funds.

The bill would create a health insurance policy board to establish policy on medical issues and various other matters relating to the health care system. The bill would create the Office of Consumer Advocacy within the agency to represent the interests of health care consumers relative to the health care system. The bill would create within the agency the Office of Health Care Planning to plan for the health care needs of the population, and the Office of Health Care Quality, headed by the chief medical officer, to support the delivery of high quality care and promote provider and patient satisfaction. The bill would create the Office of Inspector General for the California Health Insurance System within the Attorney General's office, which would have various oversight powers. The bill would prohibit health care service plan contracts or health insurance policies from being issued for services covered by the California Health Insurance System. The bill would create the Health Insurance Fund and the Payments Board to administer the finances of the California Health Insurance System. The bill would prohibit payment of shareholder dividends from system revenues by participating private companies. The bill would extend the application of certain insurance fraud laws to providers of services and products under the health care system, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program by revising the definition of a crime. The bill would enact other related provisions relative to budgeting, regional entities, federal preemption, subrogation, collective bargaining agreements, compensation of health care providers, conflict of interest, and associated matters.

The need is clearly recognized when this many states have begun to take this action. The only problem is, it would work a lot better if it were done nationally as Medicare is done.

posted by Richard @ 1:09 AM