Should California make health care available to everyone? – Orange County Register
In theory, having a single public agency as the sole provider of health care for 40 million Californians would seem to make sense, replacing dozens of federal, state and federal systems. and private sector as well as their often bewildering financial and managerial peculiarities.
Centralized healthcare seems to work quite well in other developed countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom, with slightly lower per capita costs than in the United States. , the state Senate passed the single-payer bill, although it stalled in Congress because of the lack of a financing mechanism.
The idea resurfaced last week with the introduction of two measures. One to create the framework for such a system in California, the other to require voters to levy tens of billions of dollars in new taxes, mostly on wealthy taxpayers and businesses, to pay. it.
“There are countless studies that tell us a single-payer healthcare system is the thing to do, smarter healthcare policies to follow, and the moral imperative if we care about life.” people,” said the lead author of the proposal, Congressman Ash Kalra.
“What we’re trying to do is get rid of a ton of funding — whether it’s private insurance, whether it’s an employer, whether it’s Medi-Cal — put it in one place. barrel,” the San Jose Democrat added.
Kalra has received support from a sizable group of her legislative colleagues and appears to have conceptual backing from Governor Gavin Newsom, who has pledged to work for the single-payer system. in its 2018 campaign.
“Doing nothing is not inaction,” Kalra says of promises not kept. “In fact, it is the most heinous act while millions of people suffer under our surveillance.”
The voter-requiring constitutional amendment would levy a new excise tax on businesses equal to 2.3% of any gross annual sales exceeding $2 million, plus a payroll tax. 1.25% of gross annual wages for employers with 50 or more workers, another payroll tax levied on employers tied to workers earning over $49,900 a year, and increased personal income taxes on wealthy taxpayers.
Estimates of revenue from new taxes vary but can be assumed to be $150 billion a year. Donors said the tax would be offset by eliminating what employers and individuals currently pay out of pocket for healthcare.
Even with an overwhelming Democratic majority in both chambers, it may be difficult to push for the two measures together, as they would face stiff opposition from private employer groups such as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. California trade and many, if not most, of current health. care industry.
Furthermore, there are some serious practical barriers. The federal government now pays about half of the state’s health care tab, reaching nearly half a trillion dollars a year, through Medicare, Medi-Cal, Obamacare, and federal employee service systems. retired civilian and military personnel. The proposal assumes that the federation would, in effect, transfer all of that money, more than $200 billion a year, to the state.
It also assumes that unions, including government workers, will also be willing to throw their health care money into the pot, meaning their often lavish interests will be equal to the rest. of the residents of the state.
The biggest hurdle, however, could be convincing Californians that a state government has as many troubles to manage as the Bureau of Employment Development, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the bullet train project, and countless other initiatives. Failed technology should be entrusted to something as important as medical care. .
CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how the California State Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, visit normalatters.org/commentary.
https://www.ocregister.com/2022/01/10/should-california-provide-health-care-to-everyone/ Should California make health care available to everyone? – Orange County Register