California Groups Rally in Support of Medicare Single-Payer System

On Wednesday, a coalition of California organizations rallied in 15 cities across the state to support the creation of a single-payer Medicare system, the Sacramento Business Journal reports.

The coalition is made up of more than 80 groups, including the:

• California Nurses Association;
• California Alliance for Retired Americas; and
• California National Organization for Women (Robertson, Sacramento Business Journal, 7/30).

Details of Rallies

The rallies took place in:

• Anaheim;
• Bakersfield;
• Berkeley;
• Fresno;
• Los Angeles;
• Modesto;
• Oakland;
• Richmond;
• Sacramento;
• San Bernardino;
• San Diego;
• San Francisco;
• San Jose;
• Stockton; and
• Walnut Creek.

They were aimed at countering efforts to reduce Medicare coverage, cut the number of providers and raise the program's eligibility age. Specifically, the groups are pushing to expand Medicare and eventually transform the program into a single-payer system.

CNA Treasurer Martha Kuhl said, "We need guaranteed universal coverage with a single standard of high quality care that is not based on ability to pay" and "that is best achieved through single payer reform, and expanding and updating Medicare to cover all Americans" (Campaign for a Healthy California release, 7/29).